Heaven's Hunter
by SRoseauthor
Summary: Dean and Sam pick up a simple werewolf case that they thought would be an easy 'win'. Little did they realize how much their lives would change after going to the small mining town in South Dakota. The two brothers are faced with a challenge of dealing with a unknown monster that has been hunting the two girls they are trying to protect. (M for depictions of intimacy and language)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Prologue

Blood seeped into the soil and up on the long yellow blades of grass. There were clear signs of a fight marking the land with huge imprints of a body being slammed repeatedly into the ground. The familiar smell of gunpowder lingered in the air as Dean carefully tracked through the open field across from the condemned once red barn. A small silver and black colt laid in the dirt still warm from the rounds fired earlier. He picked up the small metal gun and tucked it behind his back. His boots scuffed up the dust of the dry dirt patches. His jeans were painted with wisps of red as his legs pushed their way through the long yellow grass that were drenched in blood. The more he walked the more his heart sank to reality that no one could survive with that much blood loss. For once he prayed silently. Actually, _prayed_ that the blood belonged to the monster he was fighting and not her. His hand tightened on the ivory grips of his silver engraved colt pistol. The silver rounds waiting to be fired into the werewolf that took her.

A moment later he found a body covered in black fur. The oversized wolf looked more like a bear as he circled around the creature to the front only to find that the head barely attached by ribbons of skin on the back of the neck. The werewolf had been decapitated with its yellow eyes glazed over staring into nothingness. Dean gripped his gun with both hands taking aim at the beast before kicking its paws checking to see if it was truly dead. Nothing. The open flesh of its neck had lost nearly all its color as the blood pooled under its carcass and into the soil.

If the creature was dead then she still had to be around somewhere. Dean turned in circles scanning any where a body could lay in this long grass. The wind blew past him and through the grass like someone running their fingers through their hair. There was a dip in the grass where nothing moved. He sprinted over to the indentation in the long yellow grass. The trail of blood thickened as he got closer. He skidded to a stop upon the sight of horror.

She laid in a puddle of her own blood curled into a ball holding her shredded body together. Her legs trembled, pants ripped revealing claw marks on her thighs and her arms clung to her abdomen her skin paler than normal. Blood oozed from between her forearms. Her long black and silver hair feathered out under her head, her chin dimpled and her pale lip trembled holding back the cries of pain. Her icy blue eyes looked up at him. Tears flowed endlessly from her eyes over the cuts on her cheeks dusted with dirt.

After all the years of hunting and time spent in hell they did not prepare him for this. His abs tightened against stomach urging the nausea up into his throat and he ground his teeth holding back the urge to vomit. When his eyes met hers he felt his heart drop from his chest into a black hole of despair. His shaking hands loosened on his gun as his thumb instinctively clicked the safety back on. He tucked his gun in the front of his jeans and removed his coat and laid it over her body. He was not sure if he did it to save her or save him from the sight of seeing her shredded body.

When did his life get so turned around?

* * *

*A few days ago*

Dean was half way through a sandwich that he made in the bunker's kitchen. Each bite was like heaven for him washed down by his favorite beer. Last week they had won a case and Charlie was staying with them for a while. She was teaching Cas some new things about the computer. Life was perfect for once.

"Dude check this out." Sam barged into the kitchen holding his laptop.

Dean looked up at his younger brother mid bite of his food. "What?"

Sam sat across from him clearing away some crumbles Dean splattered all over the table before setting his laptop down. "I think I found us a case."

Dean rolled his eyes. "I'm in the middle of this amazing sandwich can't it wait?"

Sam turned his laptop around to show Dean the article. "It says a few days ago two brothers had reported their sister missing and had gone out to look for her in the woods. They didn't return and so another search party was sent out. Except this time instead of a search and rescue it was a murder scene."

"So?" Dean asked washing down the last of his sandwich.

"They found the girl unconscious and unharmed a few yards away from the scene of a bear attack. Her brothers were shredded."

"The bear ate the brothers and left the girl alone?"

"Yup." Sam leaned forward. "The coroner said they died from blood loss and missing hearts."

"Werewolf?"

"Sounds like it." Sam closed his laptop with a smirk on his face.

Dean finished the last of his beer. "What the hell, we have had a good streak for a while. Where is it?"

"A small town in the mountains of South Dakota."

"Let's go."

A few hours later the boys were driving north to the Black Hills national park in South Dakota. Cas and Charlie decided to stay behind and continue their lessons but were on call if they needed them. The Impala purred along the road as Dean rocked out to his usual music.

Sam was still reading up on the case testing all theories. "So following the moon cycle the attacks happened a few days before the full moon and after the full moon there are no reports of any murders or an attack."

"So maybe not a werewolf?"

Sam shrugged closing his laptop. "Don't know but it's the best lead we got."

"The girl was she bitten at all?"

Sam shook his head looking out the window. "It said she was 'miraculously untouched' and has no symptoms of any injury or hypothermia being left in the woods for days. That's the part I don't get is how did she end up there anyway?"

"Maybe the wolf took her and used her as bait. Maybe the thing has a specific taste. Or maybe she is the wolf?"

"Doubt it. The full moon passed and she remained in the hospital."

Dean sped up. "Let's go ask her then."

The town they had pulled into the next day was small and charming. It resembled an old mining town from the 1800's with some new remodeling. Dean pulled into a cheap motel eyeing the diner he passed a few blocks up. His growling stomach could use a double bacon cheeseburger. Dean knew from experience that small towns usually meant big secrets. The boys checked in and changed into their usual FBI suits and headed down for lunch.

The diner was a small outdated café with red booths and silver tables. Something out of a retro 50's show. A cute brunette managed the already full tables. She busied herself from table to table with a never fading smile as her long brown hair was pulled into a swaying ponytail. Her uniform consisted of jeans, sneakers and a cute black tank top. A black small apron wrapped around her slender waist with pockets filled with pens, straws and a worn notepad.

She approached the boys with a warm smile. "Anywhere you gentlemen would like to sit and I will be right over with menus." Then she dashed into the kitchen.

Dean raised an eyebrow at her with a smile. He turned to Sam who cleared his throat trying to ignore the blush on his cheeks. Dean pulled his brother over to a booth to the left of the door trying to get a view of both directions. Dean faced the door and Sam watched the kitchen.

The waitress returned with complementary waters and menus. "Welcome. My name is Laura and I'll be serving you today." Her blue eyes sparkled against her dark hair and her round face was flawless and beautiful.

"Thank you." Sam smiled taking the menu and began to read it.

Dean flashed her a smile. "Is it just you every day?"

She shrugged. "Not usually but my coworker is off for a while. Personal business. Thankfully everyone has been patient and wonderful tippers." Her fingertips brushed the table top. "I'll give you a few minutes." She made her way to the other tables.

Sam watched Laura walk away.

"See something you like?" Dean grinned like a cheshire cat.

Sam gave him his usual glare. "Dude seriously?"

Dean held up his hands. "Hey, you're the one eye banging her. I am simply observing." Dean turned back to his menu with a grin on his face. The food sounded tempting, but the burger kept calling to him.

Laura returned her face a little more seldom. "Did you need more time?"

"Not at all. I will take your double bacon cheeseburger and a side of fries." Dean smiled up at her. She tried to put on a smile, but it withered away. Dean kicked Sam under the table.

Sam covered it up as he cleared his throat. "I'll have the um…chef salad." He too turned with a smile.

Without a word Laura left and put their orders in.

"Dude!" Sam growled at Dean.

"What?" Dean said as the girl went into the kitchen. "That was a bit odd she was fine a few minutes ago."

Sam took a drink of his water. "Until you asked about her coworker."

"Do you think her coworker is the one they found in the woods?"

"Don't know and I won't unless you focus on the case instead of trying to set me up."

Dean tried to defend himself when the waitress returned with their food.

Sam looked up at the girl who set his food on the table. Once his eyes fell on her face his smile faded into concern. "Is everything alright?"

She glanced up at him. "Hmm? Oh yes, I'm fine just worried about my coworker. She is supposed to be getting out of the hospital today."

"Do you mind telling us what happened?" Sam asked with his puppy dogs eyes.

"It's all over the news." She said lowly.

"Is she the one they found in the woods?" Dean asked ignoring his food for once.

Laura nodded. "Yeah. Did you hear about it?"

Sam and Dean pulled out their fake FBI badges and Laura's face got suddenly grim. "We are here to investigate." Sam explained. "Don't worry you're not in any trouble. The news was not very specific on who it was and we just need to ask her a few questions before we close the case."

"Oh." She began to relax again. "Her name is Dakota Silverwood. A few days ago she went on her usual run before coming into work but she never showed up. I called her brothers and they said they hadn't seen her. They reported her missing and went into the woods to find her. Her brothers knew those woods like the back of their hand as did she. So the cops agreed to split up and the Silverwood boys never made it back. They sent a search party and then found them…" She took a moment containing herself. "They said it was a bear attack. They presumed that Dakota was unconscious when her brothers found her and the bear only attacked them thinking Dakota was already dead. It was a while before the cops found their bodies and the bear was nowhere to be found."

"Do you know where we could find her?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Laura went on. "she lives up north of the edge of the town in a small cabin. You'll see her motorbike outside."

"Thank you." Sam reached in his pocket for one of his cards. "If anything else comes up or if you just need someone to talk to. You can always reach me."

Laura's hand brushed his as she took the card. A small smile returned on her tender face. "Thank you." She left them to eat in peace.

"Real smooth Sam." Dean picked up his burger taking a huge bite.

"What? It's for the case." Sam watched Laura work. A bit of satisfaction settled in his stomach knowing he was able to help her relax and smile again.

"Whatever man." Dean said stuffing his mouth again.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Dakota's pov

A knock at my door woke me from a dead sleep. Strands of my hair from my messy ponytail came loose and covered my face in silver and black as I sat up looking around. Sunlight filled my room as did the sounds of singing birds. I pulled my colt pocket pistol from under my pillow and cocked it back removing the safety. I dressed in my green plaid pajama pants, black spaghetti strap top and no bra. I went downstairs to open the door and looked through the peephole first. Two men dressed in suits waited outside talking amongst themselves. I leaned my right shoulder against the wall with my gun behind the back and opened the door.

"Can I help you gentlemen?" I asked my stance more relaxed as they looked at me.

One was very tall with long brown hair and brown eyes. He gave me a soft smile. "Good morning ma' am I am special agent Peters and this is special agent Smith." They both flashed me their FBI badges. I could have cared less. "We are here on the matters-"

"Of my brothers." I finished. "Everyone is."

"We apologize for bothering you." Agent Peters tried to be sincere.

"Don't be. You're just doing your job." I opened the door fully. "Come on in."

I made my way back to the living room where the cabin windows overlooked the forest. I sat on the window bench in my favorite bay window. The gentlemen shut the door and sat by me. I put the safety on the gun and set it next to me. Agent Peters smiled gently at me while his partner stared at my gun with his green eyes. He was handsome and rugged for an FBI agent. His short dirty blond hair was spiked up and his scruffy chin gave me butterflies. I pulled my knees to my chest regretting not putting on a bra. He was so hot.

Agent smith pointed at my gun. "Is that a colt or a browning?"

I raised an eyebrow at him. "It's a colt 1911 pocket pistol 380 government issue."

His smile lit up the room making me feel slightly better about my situation. "Awesome." He bragged to his partner who shook his head.

"Ms. Silverwood-" Peters began to say.

"Dakota."

"Alright," He brushed his hands over his suit pants. "we don't want to take up too much of your time we just have a few questions about the matter. Can you tell us in your words what happened?"

I sighed, and Smith sat down watching me intently. "About a week ago I went out for a jog like I did every morning. Except that day I decided not to take my pistol as I was only going to run down to the end of the street and back. I had stayed out late with my best friend Laura the night before and didn't feel like running much. I was about half way in my run when I heard what I thought was a bear down the road from me. I stopped and looked for it. It was a huge black bear about ten yards or so away from me. I've dealt with bear encounters before and stayed quiet heading back the way I came trying to avoid him. I tripped as I was backing up and the bear went rabid and attacked me. I ran to the nearest tree and began to climb it. That's when it got weird. It followed me and yanked me from the tree and I hit the ground…" My body still ached from when I had fallen from the tree. "I hit my head and that was it. I blacked out. I woke up two days ago in the hospital and they told me my brothers were dead. Doctors say they found nothing wrong with me and I was free to go home."

"You said when the bear attacked you from the tree that it got weird?" Agent Peters asked.

I shrugged. "The attack seemed normal for bear personalities. I know people get attacked from trees because bears could climb. That was not the weird part, but just how the bear looked. It looked like a hybrid between a bear and a wolf."

"A hybrid?" Smith tilted his head in disbelief.

"This bear had a long narrow snout, bright yellow eyes and a tail."

"A tail?" They both asked.

I nodded. I rose from my seat and ruffed through the plastic hospital bag on my kitchen counter. I pulled a folded up drawing of the beast and handed it to them. "I drew this for the psychologist in the hospital." They looked over the drawing. Agent Peters stared at the image memorizing what I had seen. "I know that when you're in shock or danger sometimes the mind can play tricks on you. But a tail on a bear? Does not seem like a mind trick to me."

"Do you mind if I keep this?" Peters asked holding up the drawing for me to see.

I sat back down and curled up. "Go ahead. The whole thing is still in my memory."

"I have a question," Smith asked eyeing my gun. "Why are you carrying?"

"Safety same as you." My tone dropped from melodrama to annoyed. "I live alone now thanks to that beast out there. If I ever see it again I'm going to empty this gun in its skull."

A knock on the door interrupted us. Laura sheepishly opened the door still in her work uniform. "Hello?"

"Come in," I called. "We're in the living room!"

"We?" Laura came around the staircase and saw the two agents. Immediately her face flushed red when her eyes met theirs. "Oh, hello again."

"You know these two?" I asked arching an eyebrow at her.

"Um yeah." She brushed her hands on the back of her pants and stuffed them in her pockets. "They came in the diner for lunch and asked about you. I'm sorry Dakota I should have called to let you know, but I was slammed at work."

"No, it's cool. I was dead asleep anyway." I gave her a reassuring smile. "Sorry I wasn't at work today I'll be in tomorrow."

"Don't sweat it." She came over and sat with me. "Conner says he's going to cover us both with Arianna."

"So free day tomorrow?" I asked.

"Yup. Maybe you can finish my car tomorrow?" Laura fluttered her eyes at me apologetically.

I bit my lip feeling the guilt build up. "Oh yea that's right I was pulling the alternator before the accident. I'm sorry buddy."

She hugged me around the shoulders. "Don't be. Hey I can come over and help you if you want. I don't know cars but you can teach me."

"You work on cars?" Smith asked with a pearly white smile making my stomach flutter again.

My face flushed. I almost forgot that they were in the room with us. "Yeah. My brothers were both mechanics taking after my dad. I've had Laura's car in my garage for them to work on but to be honest from laying in the woods for a few days and the bear attack I'm still too sore to put it in. Could be an all-day thing. Is that okay?" I asked Laura.

"Well," Smith interrupted Laura before she could get the words out of her open mouth. "Agent Peters and I still need to find this 'bear' and if it lives around here maybe we could find it. Also, since we will be in the area maybe we could post up here and I can help with her car? I'm a mechanic on the side."

I small squeal escaped from Laura and I felt my stomach drop and face burn bright like Rudolf. "Well you see-" Laura elbowed me sharply in the ribs and I winced. "That would be great. Say meet here around 10am?"

"Sounds like a date." Smith said quickly before getting up. He pulled a card from his jacket pocket and handed it to me with a wink. "If you need anything. Call. We will see you ladies in the morning."

Then they walked out and the door shut behind them.

I let out a sigh of relief holding the card in my hand reading the small writing. It said, 'Agent Smith FBI call if _anything _comes up.' The anything part seemed a bit of an innuendo to me.

"They are so hot." Laura giggled lightly like a windchime.

I smiled at the card. "Especially agent Smith."

"Dakota!" She lightly pushed my shoulder.

I hissed a bit behind a laugh.

"Are you alright?"

I rubbed the soreness from my ribs. "Yeah, but can I ask you a favor?"

"Anything."

I lowered my head in shame. "Could you help me into the shower?"

"Sure, but I thought the doctors said you were okay?"

I got up and headed upstairs to the one bathroom in the house. "They did." I turned the water on to the shower as the hot steam filled the room.

Laura joined me and steadied my body as I began to undress. "So what's the matter?"

"It's the bruises that bear left on me." I pulled off my top keeping my upper half covered with my shirt. I turned in the mirror. My body was riddled with bruises matching claw marks and bites. The purple and yellow colors had begun to fade this morning, but still turned my stomach at the reality of what happened. I felt like an abused chew toy.

"Oh my god." Laura's voice was barely above a whisper. "That _thing_ did this to you?"

"I guess. I don't remember much."

"Why didn't you tell them or even the doctors about this?"

"The doctors saw it. They couldn't understand why my skin never broke or even my bones. If the FBI knew they would treat me like a freak."

"What if it wasn't eating you but moving you? It could have been that your weight pushed on its teeth causing you to bruise?"

"Maybe, but the only place it did go through my skin was my ankle when it pulled me from the tree." I turned my right ankle for her to see the healing teeth marks. Scabs now masked over my once beautiful skin.

"Ouch." Laura hissed. "Let's get you in the shower. You'll feel much better after that."

* * *

A half hour in the hot water letting the steam and heat relax the soreness away some of the bruises left my body. Even the scabs flaked off into pink scars. I rubbed some lotion into my skin especially over my tattoos to keep them in good shape. I had three. One over my right wrist, over the side of my left thigh and one on my right hip trailing down the front my thigh. My hair was being dried and fluffed by Laura who began to sing along with the music she played. I felt absolutely spoiled.

"So what do you think of the FBI agent Smith?" Laura asked with a huge grin on her face.

I tilted my head up to look back at her. "You ask like I'm going on a date?"

"Kind of are." She ran the brush through my hair again checking for wet spots. "Think about it. There's not a wedding band on him."

"He's hot an all but he won't stay here for me."

"I wouldn't sell yourself short. He was eyeing you the whole time and he was finding an excuse to see you tomorrow."

I rolled my eyes. "You mean to find the bear."

"Noticed how he only gave you his card and not one to me?"

I looked at the card sticking out on my makeup box facing me. "A man like him has to be taken."

She smacked the back of my head. "Stop it. Just get to know him. I can tell he likes you. Did you see his face light up when he found out that you work on cars? You're totally hot, work on cars, can cook, shoot guns and take on a bear and live?"

"That explains why none of my boyfriends ever worked out. They say I'm to tomboyish and then start hitting on you. You're the type of girl every guy wants."

"Maybe you're meant for him."

I rested my knees on my chin looking at the card. I was starting to regret tomorrows date.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Dude seriously?" Sam smirked at his brother as he ran a comb through his hair.

"What?" Dean was busy checking himself over in the mirror. He was wearing an old white t shirt and jeans.

Sam also wore the same attire except a white tank top and an open dark blue button up over it. He shook his head putting his brush down. "You're wearing cologne to work on a car?"

Dean stopped looking at himself in the mirror turning on his brother. "So? You never brush your hair and now suddenly you do?" Dean walked over to his dresser and slid his boots on. "What time is it?"

Sam turned the motel alarm clock to face him. "Uh around 9:45."

"We better get going then." Dean tucked his pistol behind his back where he normally kept it hidden. For once Dean was happy the case was taking a long time to solve. As long as he got to see her.

Sam grabbed his gun and did the same as his brother before following him out the door. After the years of being a hunter and dealing with the ends of the world a few times he never really got nervous. Except today. When he let go of the motel door handle his stomach started doing flips when Laura came to mind.

* * *

Dean pulled the impala up to the small cabin that stood on stilts. Trees swayed in a light breeze that decorated around the property. A white sport motorbike was parked in front of the porch staircase just like yesterday, meaning Dakota was still home. Dean's stomach flexed at the thought of her sleeping peacefully. He half hoped she was and that he would get to see her hair a mess, over sized pajama bottoms and a tank top. He liked that she still had a normal life and he wanted to share in it. He didn't want to admit it, but in the back of his mind he wanted to always come home to her like that.

"Ready?" Sam's voice snapped Dean from his thoughts.

He cleared the roughness from his voice before opening the door. "Yeah."

The recognizable groan of metal of the impala announced their presence for when the doors shut simultaneously Laura came from the back of the cabin. She wore brown hiking boots, jean shorts and a dark blue loose t shirt. Her long brown hair swayed behind her in the same ponytail she had yesterday. Laura waved them over with a smile of an angel on her face.

Sam came around the car and clipped his hip on the car.

"Dude!" Dean hissed at his brother.

Sam was stunned as he realized what he did. "Sorry."

"Get it together man." Dean walked over to Laura. "Hey are we early?"

"Yeah but Dakota has already gotten started." She led them around the house to a two car garage with a silver Mitsubishi Eclipse jacked up on one side. Inside the garage to the far left by the shop sink sat three dirt bikes on stands and a long work bench in the back. Tucked in the back right corner was a large gun safe and a smaller workbench with a tool box. A radio sat next to the tool box playing classic rock loudly. Dakota was nowhere to be found. "There's some sodas in the color or beer whichever you prefer and water too. Help yourselves."

"Where's Dakota?" Dean asked with a twinge of sadness not seeing the girl who made his heart jump.

Laura pointed down to the front of the car where a pair of legs covered in black cargo pants and black hunting boots stretched out from under the car. Dean quietly made his way over to her. She was oblivious to his presence as she laid on an old-style creeper and her white tank top exposed her stomach dusted with grease. He hooked his foot under her thigh and pulled her from the car.

* * *

*Dakota's Pov*

A foot tucked under my thigh and yanked me from underneath the car. I barely had a moment to drop the wrench and grabbed my gun from the concrete above my head. I took aim as soon as I left the underside of the car. My heart pounding in my chest in rhythm with an old rock song. I panted hard as adrenaline caused my hands to shake slightly as my eyes took him in. His black boot dropped from my leg as he wore old worn jeans and a white t shirt that I could see his muscles in. His green eyes sparkled, and a pearly white smile grew on his face seeing the fear on my own.

"Jesus," I lowered my gun replacing the safety on it. "Agent Smith what the fuck? Did you want to get shot?"

He knelt in a crouch in front of me. "I was not expecting you to be carrying while working on a car." His head gave a nod towards the car. "Thought we were to start at 10?"

I got up and brushed past him calming my nerves. I placed my gun in its holster on the workbench. "I got an early start. I um…couldn't sleep." I was having doubts about them coming over. My heart slowed, and my stomach flipped at the sight of him, but my logical brain told me not to get my hopes up.

Smith brushed my arm with his as he leaned his back against the bench crossing his arms. He was so warm. "I'm sorry if I scared you."

I shook my head the silver ends of my hair lingered on my shoulder from my ponytail. "It's alright."

"But are you?"

I looked up at him through my lashes and his green eyes were like the forests around me wild and peaceful. I bit my lip and shook my head. "I doubt I will ever be okay." My hands instinctively gripped a red shop rag. "I feel guilty. I knew better than to run off on my own unarmed and yet I still did it. And now because of it… I lost my brothers. How can I move on from that? How can I be happy knowing I got them killed? What will others think of me if they saw a smile on my face?"

He sighed and turned towards me. "Believe it or not I get where you're coming from. There are things in my past that I too feel guilty for. That I deserve every bad thing that happens to me because of it."

"You're and FBI agent, what could you have done to feel like that?"

"It was the things I couldn't prevent from happening."

"Well, that's not your fault."

He moved closer to me and I finally realized how tall he was. I had to look up at him to meet his eyes. "And neither is your brother's deaths. Sometimes things happen that we can't do anything about, but that doesn't mean you give up and stop fighting. It means you keep fighting harder to keep things like that from happening again. In time you'll see what I mean." He brushed a tear from my cheek I didn't know was there. His warm and rough hands lingered on my cheeks in a way that soothed my racing mind. "It also means you appreciate the good times and cherish the special moments."

I leaned into his hands holding back the tears. "How do you do it?"

His eyes moved from mine to look at Laura and agent Peters laughing on the other side of the garage. "I figure if my life is screwed up, then maybe I can save someone else's." He wrapped me in a tight hug. He smelled like the rain in the woods. "And I'll be right here." He whispered.

"But you'll have to leave soon…"

"Not if you don't want me too."

I looked up at him my mouth suddenly dry and my heart pounding in my ears.

"Hey, are we going to fix my car or not?" Laura called over with a huge shit eating grin on her face. Agent Peters removed his outer blue button up shirt with a smile revealing a white tank top.

I slipped from Smith's arms trying to hide the blush on my face and turned up the radio as _Sweet Home Alabama_ came on. "Alright, let's get to work."

Smith slid under the car as I helped pull the old alternator from the top. I was on my toes and Smith sang along to the music in a wonderful voice. Agent Peters was taking instruction from Smith about changing the oil while we had the car jacked up and Laura was passing him tools. With the old alternator out I slid under as Laura handed me the new alternator from side of the car. Smith began bolting it in from the top as I held it there feeling his hands brush against mine with each crank of the wrench. I was going to need a fan soon. I was burning up hotter and hotter each time he touched my hand.

"Alright Dakota," He smiled down at me. "I think it will hold long enough for us to switch."

I slid out from under the car and he helped me to my feet. I rubbed my sore back and ribs feeling the stiffness begin to tighten up.

"Are you okay?" He asked holding onto my hand.

"Yes, Smith-"

"Dean."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"You can call me Dean and his name is Sam."

I squared up my shoulders with him and gave him a sly grin. "Alright, _Dean _your turn." I wiped some grease from my thumb across his cheek swiftly.

He wiped his face smearing some on the back of his hand. He ran his tongue over his teeth like predator. "So, that's how you want to play it?"

I slowly began to back up giggling uncontrollably. "Whoops." I bolted for the exit and was about to escape when Dean leapt over the cooler and caught me around the waist from behind slightly lifting me off the ground in a spin. I let out an involuntary yelp.

He began rubbing the grease from his cheek onto mine as I screamed in protest. When he was satisfied he set me down and walked back to the car leaving me steaming. I huffed biting my inner cheek staring at the way he strut his win.

Awhile later Dean and Sam lowered the car back down satisfied with their work as Laura and I watched them.

"You're not going to wash your face, are you?" She asked.

I lightly backhanded her forearm. "Shut up." My voice was laced with a chuckle. I got real quiet knowing their job was done. "I don't want them to leave."

She sighed. "Neither do I. I really like Sam. He's smart, funny, brave and I feel like I can just relax around him. I like being around him. I just can't explain it."

"It's love." I leaned back on one of the trees as they started the car checking for leaks. "Love is unexplainable. That's why it's so special."

"Are you talking about me or you?"

Dean came over wiping his hands on a red rag and Sam backed the car from the driveway. "Well, she's all done."

"Thank you so much." Laura smiled at him.

"Is there anything else you ladies will be needing?" Dean asked looking at me.

I thought for a moment thinking of any reason to keep them around. It was well late in the afternoon and my stomach began to grumble. "What about dinner? Do you guys have any plans?"

Dean looked over to his brother who shut the car off and came over to us. "Not at all."

"Great!" Laura almost sang. "How about we all get cleaned up and Dakota and I can go do the shopping. I like fresh ingredients when I cook."

"I'd like that." Sam sighed clearly hungry for a good meal.

"How about we give you ladies a ride in the impala." Dean tossed the rag on his shoulder and I noticed the black Chevy impala parked next to my bike.

"Hell yeah." I said keeping my eyes on the car.

"Then let's go." Dean said escorting us back to the house.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"So, the bathroom is up the stairs and to the right." I directed them as I poured myself a glass of water. Dean bolted upstairs to shower first.

Sam took the second shower gathering clean clothes in his arms and headed up. Laura tilted her neck to watch him go upstairs. "Damn." She whispered.

"Likewise." I said watching Dean as he came back down and stuffed his dirty clothes into his duffle bag.

Dean looked over at us and we suddenly found something else to look at. Dean came over and helped himself to a glass of water staring at me. His grin grew wider the more he noticed my blush.

"What?" I asked getting irritated with him staring at me.

Dean opened his mouth to say something, but Sam came down interrupting him. "Who's next?"

"Me." I set my glass down and headed upstairs. I gathered my clothes and headed into the shower hearing Laura laugh keeping the boys occupied. The room was still filled with steam as I shut and locked the door behind me my heart pounding in my chest. "Get it together." I stripped down and stepped into the hot water.

* * *

Sam was sitting with Laura on the window bench telling her stories of where they had been keeping the dark parts out of it. Dean leaned on the staircase listening to them and Dakota in the shower. He knew he had to check out Dakota's stuff to clear her of being a werewolf. Dean nodded to his brother who began to really work his charm on Laura. Dean silently slipped upstairs careful not to make as sound. From the top of the stairs was a long hallway to the right, the bathroom where he could still hear her shower and the left was an open door. Inside was defiantly Dakota's room. Colors of red and gold fabrics draped from the ceiling and the bed. Lights strung from the roof and crisscrossed the room in drooping sparkles. Candles decorated her old white wooden desk in the right corner. A mahogany bookcase nearly reached the ceiling overflowing with books on the back wall. Dean drifted over to it pulling a few from the shelves. They matched the same genre of fantasy and science fiction.

"If she only knew how real these were." Dean whispered to himself placing the books back on the shelf. A wooden weapons rack hung opposite of her full-sized bed loaded down with archery bows and quivers full of arrows. "I wouldn't want to be the one to piss her off." His words brought a smile to his face.

In the center of the room was a large window overlooking the woods and the mountains in the distance. Under the window perpendicular was her bed with a fluffy black and red comforter making the bed look warm and cozy. Next to the door stood a large mahogany dresser stuffed with clothes that were caught in the drawers. Atop the dresser were some drawing of wolves done in pencil propped up by a small easel. That's when he noticed the posters on the wall of wolves and dragons paintings hanging all over. It was like a gypsy and a nerd threw up in here. He liked it.

A bundle of herbs sat on a gold ashtray on the dresser half burnt and crumbled at the end as he lifted it to his nose. "Sage? Why is she burning sage?" His green eyes flicked to the window and there in the seal undisturbed a sort of black power. He set the sage back down and went over to the window. He dipped his finger in the powder only to find it to be very old. "What is this?"

"Black salt." A female voice said from the door causing Dean to jump and instinctively reach for his gun.

* * *

*Dakota Pov*

I leaned on my doorframe to find Dean in my window inspecting the line of salt I had kept there for years. He jumped at the sound of my voice and reached behind him. I assumed I caught him very off guard as he went for his gun.

"Jesus Dakota." Dean relaxed and let out a sigh.

"Hey, you're the one snooping around my room." I came in and went over to my desk to a small jewelry box and opened it. Inside was various items of silver and gold jewelry. I pulled out a silver chain and clasped it around my neck. My skin felt irritated and so I took it back off and replaced it with my us twine necklace with two wings and a wolf on it that. "I hope you didn't go through my underwear drawer. There's things that are not made for young naïve men in there." I winked at him and he blushed. "I'm kidding." I went to the window and inspected the line of salt to ensure that it was not broken. "It keeps the evil spirits out."

"Spirits?" He turned to me very intrigued.

"Hey don't judge me." I pushed on his chest with a smile. "I've seen several ghosts in my life and I don't care if you believe or not, but they are real."

"When did you see them?"

I opened my mouth and closed it turning away from him. "When we first moved here when I was eight or nine I think."

Dean sat down on my bed. "Tell me."

I sat next to him. "One night I was brushing my teeth and I swear to god I watched the grim reaper walk up the stairs and into my brother's room. I've swept the whole house and there was nothing. Then the ghosts at Laura's house that tried to kill us during a cleansing." I showed him the scar on the back of my right arm. "Knives just don't throw themselves you know."

Dean looked at my arm. "Damn."

"This town was an old mining down the oldest one in the county. Some souls just don't want to rest. The cleansing pushes them out and then you line the house with black salt. If the line breaks they can get back in."

"Where did you learn all of this?"

"A friend she's a wiccan. She came over to help a few years ago and then she left town."

"A wiccan?" Dean sounded skeptical.

I nodded. "Like a witch just not evil. I think her name was Missouri or something like that."

Dean laced his hand with mine and turned over my wrist tracing my heartagram tattoo. "If it makes you feel better I do believe in ghosts and other things."

His fingers sent a chill up my spine. "Like what other things?"

He was quiet for a long time. "Dark things. Things I'd rather have you not know."

I looked up at him through my lashes. "Your very protective, aren't you?"

He leaned in closer just a few inches from my lips. My heart did flips in my chest looking deep into his green eyes. His arms slid around my waist drawing me in. "It's because I- "

"Well aren't you two looking mighty cozy!" Laura snickered from the staircase with a huge grin on her face. "Dean and Dakota sitting in a tree, K-i-s-s-i-n-g." She sang.

"Knock it off Laura." I growled slipping from Dean's grip. My eyes locked on her and she stuck her tongue out at me.

"First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby, in a baby carriage." She laughed lightly, and I launched after her. She screamed and ran down the stairs.

I slid down the stairs, leapt over the couch and tackled her at Sam's feet. "Take it back."

"No!" She laughed harder.

"Take it back." I growled tickling her.

She started gasping for air. "Never!"

"Take it back or I will spill the beans about last winter." I grinned wickedly.

"Okay, okay!" She screamed. "I take it back."

I let her up brushing my long hair out of my face.

"Well that was quite the show." Dean grinned at the bottom of the stairs.

I caught my breath looking around the room. Laura still had a shit eating grin on her face hiding behind Sam. "Just so you know Laura I will go threw him."

Sam's face changed from relaxed to panic as he slid her out from behind him.

"Come on," I said putting on my shoes. "I'm going to die if I don't eat soon." Dean opened the door for me and I headed out down the stairs towards my bike. I couldn't just by pass her without giving her a little love. I ran my hand over the white plastic over her curves. "Hey girl did you miss me?" I traced each letter of Kawasaki Ninja with a teary smile.

"Is this your bike?" Dean came over to check her out.

"Yes sir." I smiled throwing my leg over with a small wince. My bare legs were exposed from my jean shorts as they brushed up against the side of the bike giving me chills. "Once I'm all healed up I'm going to take her out again before winter settles in. She's a Kawasaki ninja Zx10. My brothers specially ordered her as a sort of birthday present."

"Is she loud?" Dean asked inspecting the bike.

"Probably as loud as the impala on idle but when you give her gas damn does she get loud." I rested on my forearms. "In truth she was to be my older brother's, but he couldn't handle her over 45 so we took a bet and I won. That's how Laura got her car. It was mine a few years back."

"Dakota!" Laura called from the porch tossing me my keys. I caught them one handed. "Start her up."

I looked at Dean and he stepped to the side of the bike watching me. "Do it."

I inserted the key into the ignition and turned the key to on. The gauges turned on and the battery lit up the odometer. I pushed the start button on the right handle and she roared to life like a monster yawning. The exhaust echoed through the forest and a smile immediately grew on my face. Laura and Sam came down the check out the bike. I got off her and let Laura sit on her.

"Oh my god I forgot how heavy she is." Laura tried to move the bike to stand flat foot. I got in front of the bike the headlights shining through my white tank top. I straddled the front and helped her lean the bike upright. "This is so cool!" Laura's grin was from ear to ear.

I sat the bike back down on the kickstand. "Anyone else want to try?"

"No thanks." Sam held up his hands taking a step back.

"Dean?" I looked over at the agent who was a bit nervous trying to debate if he should. "She won't bite."

Laura hopped down and pulled Dean over. "It's so cool trust me.

Dean listened to Laura's instruction and he swung one leg over easily being able to mount the bike. He was a little shocked at the vibrations of the engine. "Am I supposed to feel the engine through the seat?" He asked nervously.

"Well, yeah." I explained and moved over to the throttle. "It's a seat on and engine and two wheels. Not much to filter that out." I smiled at the agent. "I think she's warm enough now."

"For what?" He asked with worry painted all over his face.

I grinned wickedly. "This." I took the throttle and twisted it back towards my body. The gas flowed into the engine and the bike revved loudly echoing off the mountains. The bike moved slightly under him from side to side at the power. "Don't worry. I put her in neutral so you can redline the engine all you want and she's not going anywhere." Dean got off the bike and I killed the engine taking the keys. I gave her a good pat. "I will see you girl in a few more days."

"Why not ride it now?" Sam asked as we walked over to the impala.

"To be honest." I looked up at the taller agent. "It takes a lot of muscle to keep a bike that size with my build under control. Leaning is half the work when it comes to turns, but holding on when you open the throttle like I did in gear? She will throw you if you're not holding on right. I'm still banged up from the attack. Just getting my leg over hurts."

Dean opened the back door behind the driver seat for me. "I'd like to see you on that bike someday."

Laura and I got in the car and the gentlemen shut the doors. I quickly whispered to her. "I'd like to be on someone else in a few days."

The boys got in the front as Laura and I burst out laughing. They rolled their eyes at us smiling as Dean pulled out of my driveway steering towards town.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Dean pulled the impala over to a local grocery store before opening the door for Dakota. Sam on the other hand was being pulled along by Laura who was eager to cook for them. He enjoyed watching her scan each aisle deciding on what ingredients she would need. He carried her basket for her as she added in item after item. A few times she would ask if he was managing alright. He would smile slightly at her and tell her he was managing just fine. He was too, compared to the gear bags and other things he had to carry as a hunter. He followed her as she spoke of stories from her past and would occasionally get off track with another story. He liked hearing her talk the way her tone would change depending on the subject. He wanted to tell her the truth. Tell her who he really was. He hated lying to her, a woman who he's only known for two days. But when she put four steaks into the basket and looked up at him with those big blue eyes and long lashes his heart melted. He had fallen in love with her.

"Sam?" Her voice was a soft angelic whisper.

"Hmm?" He snapped from his thoughts.

"Do you think that will be enough?" She asked again.

Sam didn't hear her the first time and when she asked him again she only asked half the question. His eyes dropped to the items in the basket analyzing each item trying to figure out what she had asked. The steaks would be a main course with four baking potatoes and items for a salad. He assumed she was asking would this be a filling meal. For three out of four yes. "Well, Dean doesn't eat salad but for the rest of us I think so."

"Oh." Her soft mouth formed into a slight frown. "Should we not have a salad and do something else instead?"

He hated seeing her frown. "No, let's do the salad and perhaps a desert? I know he loves pie and will be more happy with pie if he's cut short on food."

Her face lit up by his words. "That's perfect! Dakota loves to bake!" Once again her tiny hand laced into his and he was being tugged away again. "I know they're in here somewhere." She scanned trying to look over the produce item shelves on her toes.

Sam's eyes looked for his brother and Dakota finding them by the apples. "They're over there." He said and she looked around the tomatoes.

"Oh, thank you." She giggled covering her mouth with her hand. "I would have been in here forever looking for them and they were right there the whole time."

They met up with the others and Laura showed Dakota the items for dinner struggling to hold the basket up for her best friend. "And then," Laura let the basket drop and bit and nearly spilled the contents on the floor. Sam swooped in and took the basket with ease. "Sam suggested about maybe making a pie?"

Dakota thought for a moment inspecting the ingredients again while Dean nearly drooled on the floor. "Sure, but I will need a few things for the pie though. More butter, sugar and some flour. I have the rest at home."

"We're on it!" Laura grabbed his hand again pulling him to the back of the store.

Dean winked at his brother before helping Dakota pick out apples.

In no time Laura was staring at all the brands of butter. "Laura can I ask you a question?"

"Sure Sam." She pulled a blue and white box of butter from the fridge.

"Well um," He stammered a bit. "Have you noticed anything unusual with Dakota lately?"

She put the butter into the basket an walked down the next aisle. "No, not really. I've seen her as much as you have since the attack. The only change would be her confidence."

"Her confidence?"

"She was extremely nervous about you two coming over. That's why she started early to finish it before you two came over."

"Why?"

She looked both ways up and down the aisle before answering him. "She likes Dean. Like a lot. I've never seen her so nervous or mesmerized by someone before."

"What's wrong with that?"

"Her heart Sam."

He tilted his head in confusion. "Her heart?"

She looked down and bit her lip that gave him a tingle down low. "She had her heart broken so many times that I'm amazed she's getting this close to Dean at all. Her last break up she nearly killed herself. That's why her and I got matching tattoos. It's a promise that no matter what happens we will keep fighting and will always be there for each other." She showed him her tattoo on her wrist. The same one Dakota had. "I keep popping up on them to make sure she's okay and that Dean's not trying anything."

"That guy hurt her that bad?" Sam's heart sank at Laura's words.

She nodded. "They were supposed to get married and then he had his way with her… tossed her to the side and left her."

Sam's grip on the basket became very dangerous. "Who is he?"

Laura brushed him off and picked up a bag of flour. "Don't worry I took care of it."

"You?" Sam was a bit shocked. What on earth could this sweet, innocent, beautiful, kind woman do to someone?

She flashed him a dark smile. "I tore his life apart. First I beat the living shit out of him, then I sent over the tapes of him stealing from the register from his work and then I turned in all the records of him dropping dirty to his insurance."

Sam blinked blankly at her.

"Yea, this girl isn't to be trifled with." She led him back to the front of the store where Dean and Dakota were checking out. "Of course, she doesn't know that. He left town because I told him too. She thinks he left town because he wanted to."

"I won't tell her." Sam vowed.

They checked out of the store and packed into the impala the sun starting to get low.

* * *

Dean pulled back up into the drive of Dakota's house. The girls started to head to the trunk when Sam stopped them.

"Why don't you ladies head inside and get everything set up for dinner and we will take the groceries in." Sam offered.

"Okay." Laura said pulling Dakota inside.

Dean unlocked the trunk. "What's up man?"

"Dude you need to be careful with Dakota." Sam growled.

Dean leaned his hand on the trunk lid. "Why?"

Sam looked over his shoulder. "Laura told me about what happened to Dakota-"

"What is she a werewolf?"

"No," Sam started gathering bags. "I think she checks out. You didn't find anything and other that her crushing on you Laura said she's normal. Laura told me the last guy she was with promised her the world, she bought into it, he used her and left her."

Dean's grip tightened on the trunk.

"Don't worry Laura said she took care of it. But you might want to slow down with her."

Dean gathered the leftover groceries and closed the trunk. "I can't help it Sam." Dean gritted his teeth walking over to the house.

Sam stopped in the driveway. "You love her don't you?"

Dean stopped for a moment. "Shut up."

Sam's laughter followed his brother inside.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 7

It was early when the boys had awoken to find themselves each draped with a girl. Sam carefully picked up Laura and set her back down on the couch looking out the window.

"Dean." Sam whispered in a dark tone.

"What? I'm comfortable here." He smirked as Dakota stretched across his body and snuggled deeper into his chest. "I mean look at how beautiful she is."

"Dean," Sam turned with a growl in his voice his eyes burning with seriousness. "It was here."

"What?" Dean slid from under Dakota's slumbering body. He went over the window and peered outside. On the edge of the property were the trees stopped where deep large prints faced the house and then turned to head back into the forest. "It was here last night?" Dean growled.

"Last night before I fell asleep I thought I saw glowing yellow eyes in the window, but it turned out to be the candles from the dining table." Sam explained.

"Why is it here?" Dean began to pace the room. "Why is it following her? It took her brother's, it had its meal. Werewolves normally attack random targets."

"Dean." Sam's voice made Dean stop. "Werewolves don't leave those types of tracks. It's usually footprints or shoe prints not pawprints. Either we are dealing with a crazed bear or something entirely different."

"Dakota saw it right?" Dean thought rubbing the scruff on his chin. "What if it's not a werewolf or a bear but a hellhound?"

"And is that stuff really black salt or gopher dust?" Sam countered.

"She said Missouri came to help her." Dean pulled out his phone. "I'm going to give her a call. You try to find any secret you can about a demon deal on any members of the Silverwood family." Dean began dialing the number as he walked upstairs.

Sam sat down near the window after fetching his laptop from the car. The girls still slept and for once he noticed the dark circles under Dakota's eyes. The discoloration in her skin from old bruises. He snuck over to her and carefully inspected her body finding bruises in the shape of claw marks and teeth marks all over her body.

"So, Missouri said that _is_ black salt." Dean came down the stair quietly. Dean stopped to look at his brother. "Dude what are you doing?"

Sam shushed his brother. "Come here." Dean came over and Sam showed his brother his discovery. "Look at her bruises. These are not from falling from the tree. They're-"

"Bite marks." Dean looked closely. His fingers traced over her skin for the small change in texture that would be a scar or previous scab. "Her skin was never punctured. The beast was carrying her. Maybe it was using her as bait."

"Either way, but why didn't it attack last night?" Sam asked his brother heading back to his laptop.

"Dakota said it attacked her on the road when she was alone. Then it attacked her brothers when they went to look for her. They were alone too. Maybe it's us. Maybe we are keeping it at bay."

"The Silverwood family checks out. Nothing like a demon deal." Sam said closing his laptop.

"Maybe a rogue hellhound?" Dean suggested. "Maybe Dakota was to be dinner but before it could eat her, her brothers pissed it off."

"Crowley?" Sam asked.

Dean stared at his phone. He hated calling the bastard, but if a hellhound was hunting Dakota he needed to know for sure. "Come on." Dean lead Sam outside away from the house a bit before he called. The phone rang lowly in his ear until an irritating accent spoke over the line.

"We are not going to make this a regular thing, are we?" Crowley's voice hummed over the phone line.

"Listen here you son of a bitch," Dean's voice growled menacingly. "You need to get your ass here now. You hear me? Now, not later, not tomorrow, now. Or so help me god I will hunt you down and-"

"Alright no need to get testy." Crowley said in front of Dean holding his phone. The well-dressed demon hung up. "Now what is so important? I was in the middle of something."

"We think one of your hellhounds is hunting some friends of ours." Sam explained.

Crowley cocked an eyebrow at them. "And what makes you say that?" Sam pointed at the ground behind Crowley where the tracks laid imprinted into the dirt. Crowley walked over to the prints and crouched down inspecting them. "As far as my memory goes there's no one in this hell hole under contract and all my hounds are locked up. I don't know if this should be a relief or not, but those are not hellhound tracks. I guarantee it."

"Then what is it?" Dean growled.

Crowley stood up looking around the forest as the wind blew past them. "Nothing I have ever seen, but the energy it left behind is old. Very old. Whatever this thing is I want to part of it." Then he was gone.

"Damn it." Dean growled.

"How do we kill something we don't know what it is?" Sam asked walking back to the house.

"One thing is for sure," Dean said following his brother. "We can't leave those girls alone. One of us will have to be with them at all times." Dean looked up to see Dakota and Laura staring right back at him from the window. "Shit."

* * *

*Dakota's Pov*

Sam and Dean came back inside of the house and I stood there staring at the pawprints on my property.

"Dakota- "

"How long?" I asked. "How long where those tracks there?"

"At least overnight." Sam admitted.

I bit the inner part of my cheek trying to keep calm. My nightmares were still going to haunt me. They were following me, and I was putting everyone else in danger here. "You all should leave." I said keeping my back from them. "Just get as far away from me as possible."

"Dakota…" Laura's voice cracked.

I held my arms tight around my stomach. "I've already lost one family. I won't lose another." My heart was breaking to push them away.

"Were not going anywhere." Dean's voice growled from across the room. "We are going to stay here and fight it."

I scoffed at him. "What _us_? You mean two FBI agents, a waitress and an amateur hunter? You might as well start digging our graves because we don't stand a chance!"

"Were not FBI agents." Dean said lowly.

I turned around to look at him. Both looked at the ground avoiding my eyes. "What?"

"I said we are not FBI agents." Dean explained. "We are hunters. We hunt things like that beast, ghosts, demons, werewolves and other things. Sam, he is my brother."

Laura let out a squeal of betrayal sitting on the window seat covering her mouth with tears in her eyes.

"Our names are Sam and Dean Winchester," Dean went on. "We came here to investigate a werewolf killing."

I took a step back. "You lied to me?"

"Only in parts." Dean tried to play it off with a smile, but when I didn't respond his smile faded. "We only hid who we really were to protect you. Normally we do our job and shut up about it but, this time it's gotten a lot more complicated."

I swallowed the lump in my throat blinking back the tears. "How?"

Dean walked over to me. "Because we don't know what's hunting you. Some sort of werewolf. A very old one. Maybe the first." He tried to put his hand on my shoulder and I stepped back. He looked hurt at my motion.

I shook my head staying back. "Until this thing is dead I'm going to stay away from all of you. Hunters or not I can't tell you what that _thing_ did to me and I don't want it to happen to you."

"We think the only reason it hasn't attacked again is because you're not alone." Sam explained. "As soon as you're unguarded it _will_ attack."

It wasn't fair. My whole life I've been tortured by the monsters I thought were just my imagination. I lost my parents last year and a week ago my brothers and now when I'm finally happy and smiling again? I'm being hunted like some sort of meal. With tears welled in my eyes I bolted upstairs into my room and slammed the door locking it behind me. I dove into my bed curling into a ball and cried.

"Dakota." Dean knocked on the door.

I didn't answer him as I sobbed.

"Dakota open the door." Dean sounded irritated. "Last chance Dakota."

"Just go away!" I yelled.

I curled so far into myself my muscles hurt and I felt every bruise and sore spot that beast laid on my body. I heard a clicking noise before my door swung open and Dean waltzed in closing it behind him.

"How did you-"

"I break into places for a living." He said sitting at the edge of my bed. He pulled me into his arms as I cried into his chest.

"It's not fair!" I wept.

"I know love." He rubbed my back holding me tight as I ruined his shirt with my tears.

"I finally get to be happy and now that _thing_ has to ruin it!" I clung to his body my nails slightly digging into his skin. "It's not fair."

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you or Laura." Dean whispered in my ear. "I swear I'll find a way to kill it."

I curled up on the bed slipping from his arms and just wept.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

It was early when the boys had awoken to find themselves each draped with a girl. Sam carefully picked up Laura and set her back down on the couch looking out the window.

"Dean." Sam whispered in a dark tone.

"What? I'm comfortable here." He smirked as Dakota stretched across his body and snuggled deeper into his chest. "I mean look at how beautiful she is."

"Dean," Sam turned with a growl in his voice his eyes burning with seriousness. "It was here."

"What?" Dean slid from under Dakota's slumbering body. He went over the window and peered outside. On the edge of the property were the trees stopped where deep large prints faced the house and then turned to head back into the forest. "It was here last night?" Dean growled.

"Last night before I fell asleep I thought I saw glowing yellow eyes in the window, but it turned out to be the candles from the dining table." Sam explained.

"Why is it here?" Dean began to pace the room. "Why is it following her? It took her brother's, it had its meal. Werewolves normally attack random targets."

"Dean." Sam's voice made Dean stop. "Werewolves don't leave those types of tracks. It's usually footprints or shoe prints not pawprints. Either we are dealing with a crazed bear or something entirely different."

"Dakota saw it right?" Dean thought rubbing the scruff on his chin. "What if it's not a werewolf or a bear but a hellhound?"

"And is that stuff really black salt or gopher dust?" Sam countered.

"She said Missouri came to help her." Dean pulled out his phone. "I'm going to give her a call. You try to find any secret you can about a demon deal on any members of the Silverwood family." Dean began dialing the number as he walked upstairs.

Sam sat down near the window after fetching his laptop from the car. The girls still slept and for once he noticed the dark circles under Dakota's eyes. The discoloration in her skin from old bruises. He snuck over to her and carefully inspected her body finding bruises in the shape of claw marks and teeth marks all over her body.

"So, Missouri said that _is_ black salt." Dean came down the stair quietly. Dean stopped to look at his brother. "Dude what are you doing?"

Sam shushed his brother. "Come here." Dean came over and Sam showed his brother his discovery. "Look at her bruises. These are not from falling from the tree. They're-"

"Bite marks." Dean looked closely. His fingers traced over her skin for the small change in texture that would be a scar or previous scab. "Her skin was never punctured. The beast was carrying her. Maybe it was using her as bait."

"Either way, but why didn't it attack last night?" Sam asked his brother heading back to his laptop.

"Dakota said it attacked her on the road when she was alone. Then it attacked her brothers when they went to look for her. They were alone too. Maybe it's us. Maybe we are keeping it at bay."

"The Silverwood family checks out. Nothing like a demon deal." Sam said closing his laptop.

"Maybe a rogue hellhound?" Dean suggested. "Maybe Dakota was to be dinner but before it could eat her, her brothers pissed it off."

"Crowley?" Sam asked.

Dean stared at his phone. He hated calling the bastard, but if a hellhound was hunting Dakota he needed to know for sure. "Come on." Dean lead Sam outside away from the house a bit before he called. The phone rang lowly in his ear until an irritating accent spoke over the line.

"We are not going to make this a regular thing, are we?" Crowley's voice hummed over the phone line.

"Listen here you son of a bitch," Dean's voice growled menacingly. "You need to get your ass here now. You hear me? Now, not later, not tomorrow, now. Or so help me god I will hunt you down and-"

"Alright no need to get testy." Crowley said in front of Dean holding his phone. The well-dressed demon hung up. "Now what is so important? I was in the middle of something."

"We think one of your hellhounds is hunting some friends of ours." Sam explained.

Crowley cocked an eyebrow at them. "And what makes you say that?" Sam pointed at the ground behind Crowley where the tracks laid imprinted into the dirt. Crowley walked over to the prints and crouched down inspecting them. "As far as my memory goes there's no one in this hell hole under contract and all my hounds are locked up. I don't know if this should be a relief or not, but those are not hellhound tracks. I guarantee it."

"Then what is it?" Dean growled.

Crowley stood up looking around the forest as the wind blew past them. "Nothing I have ever seen, but the energy it left behind is old. Very old. Whatever this thing is I want to part of it." Then he was gone.

"Damn it." Dean growled.

"How do we kill something we don't know what it is?" Sam asked walking back to the house.

"One thing is for sure," Dean said following his brother. "We can't leave those girls alone. One of us will have to be with them at all times." Dean looked up to see Dakota and Laura staring right back at him from the window. "Shit."

* * *

*Dakota's Pov*

Sam and Dean came back inside of the house and I stood there staring at the pawprints on my property.

"Dakota- "

"How long?" I asked. "How long where those tracks there?"

"At least overnight." Sam admitted.

I bit the inner part of my cheek trying to keep calm. My nightmares were still going to haunt me. They were following me, and I was putting everyone else in danger here. "You all should leave." I said keeping my back from them. "Just get as far away from me as possible."

"Dakota…" Laura's voice cracked.

I held my arms tight around my stomach. "I've already lost one family. I won't lose another." My heart was breaking to push them away.

"Were not going anywhere." Dean's voice growled from across the room. "We are going to stay here and fight it."

I scoffed at him. "What _us_? You mean two FBI agents, a waitress and an amateur hunter? You might as well start digging our graves because we don't stand a chance!"

"Were not FBI agents." Dean said lowly.

I turned around to look at him. Both looked at the ground avoiding my eyes. "What?"

"I said we are not FBI agents." Dean explained. "We are hunters. We hunt things like that beast, ghosts, demons, werewolves and other things. Sam, he is my brother."

Laura let out a squeal of betrayal sitting on the window seat covering her mouth with tears in her eyes.

"Our names are Sam and Dean Winchester," Dean went on. "We came here to investigate a werewolf killing."

I took a step back. "You lied to me?"

"Only in parts." Dean tried to play it off with a smile, but when I didn't respond his smile faded. "We only hid who we really were to protect you. Normally we do our job and shut up about it but, this time it's gotten a lot more complicated."

I swallowed the lump in my throat blinking back the tears. "How?"

Dean walked over to me. "Because we don't know what's hunting you. Some sort of werewolf. A very old one. Maybe the first." He tried to put his hand on my shoulder and I stepped back. He looked hurt at my motion.

I shook my head staying back. "Until this thing is dead I'm going to stay away from all of you. Hunters or not I can't tell you what that _thing_ did to me and I don't want it to happen to you."

"We think the only reason it hasn't attacked again is because you're not alone." Sam explained. "As soon as you're unguarded it _will_ attack."

It wasn't fair. My whole life I've been tortured by the monsters I thought were just my imagination. I lost my parents last year and a week ago my brothers and now when I'm finally happy and smiling again? I'm being hunted like some sort of meal. With tears welled in my eyes I bolted upstairs into my room and slammed the door locking it behind me. I dove into my bed curling into a ball and cried.

"Dakota." Dean knocked on the door.

I didn't answer him as I sobbed.

"Dakota open the door." Dean sounded irritated. "Last chance Dakota."

"Just go away!" I yelled.

I curled so far into myself my muscles hurt and I felt every bruise and sore spot that beast laid on my body. I heard a clicking noise before my door swung open and Dean waltzed in closing it behind him.

"How did you-"

"I break into places for a living." He said sitting at the edge of my bed. He pulled me into his arms as I cried into his chest.

"It's not fair!" I wept.

"I know love." He rubbed my back holding me tight as I ruined his shirt with my tears.

"I finally get to be happy and now that _thing_ has to ruin it!" I clung to his body my nails slightly digging into his skin. "It's not fair."

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you or Laura." Dean whispered in my ear. "I swear I'll find a way to kill it."

I curled up on the bed slipping from his arms and just wept.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Dean came downstairs after Dakota had cried herself back to sleep. Sam and Laura obviously made up as they were making out on the window bench seat when Dean came down. Dean rolled his eyes seeing Sam's hand cradle Laura against him.

Dean cleared his throat announcing his presence and the two immediately separated. He let out a long sigh. "Awkward." He went into the kitchen in search for a drink and settled for water noticing he cleared the house of beer the night before. "Well Dakota is asleep. I finally got her to calm down."

"She's the first to freak out that bad about the 'truth is out there' speech compared to others we've met before." Sam said holding Laura on his lap.

Laura laid her head on his chest her eyes low to the ground. "Dakota has always had these horrible detailed nightmares. Some nights she would wake up _screaming_." She shuddered at the memory. "She started drawing her dreams a few years ago." Laura went upstairs quietly and brought down a black sketch book checking behind her making sure Dakota did not wake up. "She keeps them locked in the bottom drawer of her dresser." She laid the sketch book out on the bar counter and the boys came over to investigate.

They flipped through pages and pages of creatures they have come across before. Each one in black and white pencil in terrifying detail.

Sam picked up a drawing of a small twisted child. "This is a changling." He flipped through more. "A windigo and werewolves?" Sam was baffled at the accuracy Dakota had.

Dean picked up one drawing of a creature hovering over a small child's bed.

"Oh," Laura explained to Dean. "That one she's afraid of the most. She swears to this day she woke up to it over a friend's bed once. I'm actually surprised she drew it."

"What is it?" Sam asked.

"Shtriga." Dean said showing Sam the drawing. He looked at Laura. "When did she draw this?"

She shrugged her little shoulders moved up and down. "I don't know, but that nightmare happened over at a slumber party when we were really little. Dakota woke us all up screaming. The next day a friend of ours was admitted into the hospital where she died of pneumonia."

Dean looked over at Sam. "The shtriga attacked at the slumber party and Dakota must have been so sensitive to it she woke up. Her scream probably spooked it and the thing took off."

"You think that this is real?" Laura scoffed. "It was just a nightmare."

Sam's hand trailed up Laura's forearm. "It's real Laura. One tried to kill me too."

"Sam and I killed one a few years ago in Fitchburg, Wisconsin." Dean threw the paper down into the sketch book slamming it closed. "No wonder she's so terrified at nearly everything. To spend your life thinking that they are just nightmares then to find out they're real?" He turned his gaze to the window. He hated seeing her afraid, suffering and trapped. He felt the same way. "Sam," He growled. "We are going to kill that thing if it's the last thing I do."

"Until that happens one of you are going to need to walk me to my car." Laura said gathering some of her things. "I have to be at work in an hour."

"Sam why don't you go with her to her work. Make sure that thing doesn't attack, and I'll stay here with Dakota." Dean suggested.

Sam nodded and escorted Laura out.

Dean leaned his weight on the counter top listening to them drive away in her car. He stood there staring at the forest fighting back the urge to punch something.

* * *

It was late in the afternoon and Dean was sucked into a sitcom on the tv when Dakota came down got a glass of water in black sweats and an oversized grey sweater. She didn't say a word to him. His stomach felt tight when he saw the redness around her eyes, the knots in her hair and the weightlessness her body looked as she floated across the room like a ghost.

His mouth felt dry but he managed to force her name out. "Dakota." Dean's voice stopped her from going up the stairs. "Come here."

She didn't resist his command. She turned and sat down with him on the couch holding the glass of water in her sleeve covered hands. She sat cross legged on the couch her bare feet tucked under her legs. Her long grey and black rooted hair sagged down over her face brushing against the glass in her hands. Her eyes stared empty at nothing on the floor.

"What's wrong?" Dean moved closer feeling the lack of warmth from her body.

Her thumb brushed the rim of the glass. "I had another nightmare."

He tucked her hair behind her ear revealing her pale face. "What of?"

Her small mouth and plump lips opened but nothing left but a sigh before she closed her jaw biting her lip. "I think I was awake when it killed my brothers. In my dream I was laying on my stomach in the forest unable to move or even speak. I remember Calvin my younger brother crouched over me shaking my shoulders screaming at me. I could hear what he was saying. My eyes drifted to Trevor behind him with his rifle raised at something. I recall the flash of the gun when he pulled the trigger and then…" She took a shaky breath. "A figure like a large wolf attack him. I could see blood spraying from behind Calvin but I couldn't warn him when a pair of fangs gripped his shoulder…and pulled him away." Her grip became dangerously tight on the glass. "I couldn't do anything. I couldn't scream. I couldn't even let the tears fall from my eyes. I just drifted away into darkness into nothing."

Dean instinctively wrapped his arms around her body holding her into his warmth. "It was just a dream Dakota."

"I hate it when it feels so real." She mumbled lowly.

"Me too." Dean's arms tightened around her of the memories of his own nightmares.

"Where is Sam and Laura?" Dakota's voice snapped him from his thoughts.

"Well," He cleared his throat. "Laura is at work and Sam is keeping an eye on her. So we have the house to ourselves." He grinned at her and with a waggle of his eyebrows he was able to get her to laugh.

She slipped from his arms with a giggle escaping from behind her sweater covered hand. "I'm going to shower throw on some comfy clothes and binge watch tv until my brain is mush." She vanished upstairs and the sounds of water running floated down to Dean.

An idea popped in his head and he began to work on it as quietly as he could.

* * *

*Dakota's Pov*

I came down stairs with my wet hair in a bun and my black sweat pants dragging behind my feet. I wore _only_ a white spaghetti strap top that hugged my every _curve_. When I reached the bottom of the stairs Dean stood in the middle of the living room with his arms spread wide and a huge grin on his face. The couch had moved closer to the tv, the coffee table littered with snacks and drinks, blankets and pillows covered the couch except for two small spots in the center of the couch and the smell of popcorn seeped out from the microwave.

"What's all this?" I smiled at the coziness before me.

"This," Dean gestured to the room. "is the tv binge watching colosseum. Complete with snacks, popcorn, drinks and yours truly."

A smile cracked over my face and I couldn't hold it back. "You really know how to treat a girl." I came over and sat on the couch working my way through the pillows and blankets until I was comfortable. "Care to join?"

Dean dashed into the kitchen only to bring back a bowl of hot buttery popcorn. He set the clear glass bowl of golden goodness into my lap as he sat next to me his feet up on the table and an arm around my shoulders. He pressed play and _Scooby-doo_ original cartoons came on the tv screen.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

A few episodes later Dean and I stopped paying attention to the shows in the background as we were locked in a seriously battle of thumb war. His hand was much larger than my own and my tiny thumb struggled to pin his down completely.

"You're a cheater you know that." I said slipping my thumb free from his.

"Only in your terms." He laughed a deep hardy laugh that made my stomach flip.

I pulled his hand closer to me trying to get a better angle for victory. "Tell me something about you."

"Like what?"

"You're favorite song?"

"It's a tie." He pinned my thumb again. "Between _Ramble On_ by _Zeppelin_ and _Traveling Riverside Blues. _And yours?"

I bit my lip trying to concentrate on the question and his thumb. "I have to say my favorite song is a secret to most, but it's by the band _HIM_ and the song is called _I Love You (Prelude to Tragedy)_."

"Interesting pick."

"What? Were you hoping I was more of an 80's rock girl?" I laughed pinning his thumb down and held tight. "I hate to break it to you but that's all I was raised on. Of course, I have some favorites of the more classic rock bands."

Dean tried harder to pull his hand free, but he was unsuccessful. Fear flashed in his eyes and I laughed at his struggle. "Damn it." He growled.

I released him. "Some hunter. Getting caught by a girl holding only his thumb?" I mocked him, and he glared at me.

His glare turned darker as he moved closer just inches from my lips. "Oh, don't underestimate me girl," He growled. "the only reason you defeated me is because you also have my heart." I gasped inward as my eyes went wide. "Was that fear in your eyes?" He snickered darkly. His hand trailed up my cheek holding me there as my heart thundered in my chest. "You're the most difficult person I've crossed."

"Why?" My voice was barely above a hoarse whisper.

"Because everyone I get close to gets hurt and I can't stay away from you." His breath was hot on mine and my head was spinning. His eyes were such a deep green I could drown in them. He pulled me close against his chest and I could feel his every breath and muscle through my top. I my hand slipped into his own as my other gripped his top. His lips met mine and my world exploded in stars and fire. His scent filled my nose, my tongue laced with his taste and my head swirled as I opened my mouth to him. Dean laid me back gently laying over my body. My arms wrapped around his shoulders as my legs enveloped his narrow waist. He pulled away and I gulped down breaths of air down my dry throat. Dean leaned his forehead on mine as he inwardly fought himself. "I just…I just can't see you get hurt."

I brushed my hand past his rough cheek. "Nothing is going to happen to me. You're here to protect me now and since you've been here nothing has happened. I promise I will be alright." I kissed his warm lips softly.

"But I've failed before."

"You won't again." I pulled him down kissing him once more as he thrusted his waist into me and I moaned against his lips.

He kissed me hungrily as we pulled at one another's clothing trying to get closer. My lips trailed down his neck where I nipped his neck under his chin and he lost all control. Dean pulled us back up sitting on the couch. His hands gracefully ravished my body. The roughness of his fingers left goosebumps in their wake. He pulled my shirt from my body and cupped my breast in his hands. He left love bites down my neck and a heat built in my core. My breath was ragged and my body lit on fire when his hands trailed lower to my waist. His hands gripped my hips hard and he lifted me from the couch with him. My legs wrapped around his waist never breaking the kiss. He effortlessly carried me upstairs and to my bedroom kicking the door closed behind us.

Dean laid me back onto the bed the soft sheets welcoming my warm bare torso. My feet touched the ground holding me up. He tore his top from his body breaking eye contact for a moment as the shirt went over his head fluffing his dark blond hair. He knelt before me between my quivering legs. His hands worked my pants down off my body as his lips kissed across my hips. My back arched against his touch and my hips bucked into him. With a firm but gentle hand he held me down removing the last bit of clothing off my body. I gripped the sheets feeling every part of his body against mine biting back a moan.

Dean's presence vanished for a moment as he removed his clothing tossing it to the side before rejoining me fully erect. He maneuvered me fully on the bed. He held his muscular body above mine holding whatever control he still had.

His eyes met mine unsure and worried. "Are you sure."

I kissed him slowly, romantically, and deeply. I pulled back for a moment too look into his sage green eyes. "Without a doubt." I raked my nails down his ribs and he groaned at my touch. I could feel his hard warm member against my slick folds and my heart ached from beating so fast. "Please Dean. I need you."

He kissed me long and hard as he slid inside of me and I lost all control I had. He moved so gently hitting the perfect spot over and over. The heat in my core built as I clung to him trying to get closer to him to feel _every_ part of his body. He moved in and out slowly building the anticipation as I barreled over the edge screaming his name ripping my nails over the bed sheets.

He swallowed my moans in a kiss pulling my leg up higher up against his shoulder. He didn't stop, and I didn't want him too. Our cries echoed around us as we moved as one. He rolled us over sitting me on top of him taking him fully. His rough hands clung to my hips rocking them just right making him moan for me. I moved against him feeling him tense up. I bit down on his shoulder sucking and pulling lightly at his skin leaving my mark there. He bucked under me harder at each thrust as he sent me over the edge again. My body threatened to snap at the overwhelming pleasure I tried to hold back. Dean held me tight against his chest as he sat up just a bit holding me to him his head buried in my neck as he moaned through his sweet release. He relaxed under me bringing us down to the bed panting. I laid on his chest or bodies slick with sweat. Our scents mingled together around the room.

"I don't think I can move." I mumbled in his chest my body quivering from head to toe.

His hands traced circles around my back as he chuckled deeply in my ear. "Likewise." He groaned as he pulled out from me and I let out an unsuspecting gasp. He kissed my forehead. "I think I love you."

I smiled my lips pulling back over my teeth as I nipped him lightly. "I _know_ I love you."

We laid like that for a long time until we had fallen asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

Laura had finished closing up the diner and sat down with Sam at the tacky silver table. He was busy all day ruffling through the files of Dakota that the hospital sent over. Right down to her newborn draws. Laura brought him cup after cup of coffee and a free lunch that she yelled at him to eat.

Sam ran his hands threw his hair for the hundredth time today. "I don't get it!" He groaned letting his hair free.

"What is it you are trying to look for?" Laura inspected the paperwork he had all over the table. Different cultural lore of werewolves.

He let out a sigh. "The lore says that if you're bitten by a werewolf then you turn into one. I personal have even seen it, but there's no record or hard proof that says Dakota is a werewolf."

"Well I did notice one thing." Laura's fingertips brushed the pile of papers next to her. "Dakota had this like ring of red around her neck. It looked like a faded old burn, but it was very thin. She also has not been wearing her favorite necklace."

"And?" Sam kept reading his laptop.

"And," She went on. "The chain I gave her four years ago for Christmas was made of pure silver."

Sam's head snapped up. "Silver? You sure?"

"Yeah I bought it for her. Cost me nearly three hundred dollars."

"Shit. I was really hoping that she wouldn't be a werewolf and I was overreacting."

"Are there other things that she could be?" Laura asked slightly not wanting to know the truth.

"No." Sam said. "If anything, then this thing is a shapeshifter."

Laura flipped through Dakota's blood tests. Her eyes lingered on her last obgyn appointment blood work and that of the hospital. Her white blood count spiked and the level of platelets did too. It looked like she was fighting an infection. The hospital ran blood cultures but they were negative. She panned over the blood work sure they had something wrong. Then her eyes noticed something off about her files. "Sam." Laura slid the paper over to him. "Look here. When Dakota was younger and she went in for a procedure they ran her blood type. It was B positive. Then a few weeks ago her blood type altered."

Sam read the paper work again and again. "What_? 'Blood type unknown use B positive as default from past patient reports?' _What the hell does that mean?"

"They repeated the test five times unable to find a match. Maybe you're not wrong and she just hasn't shifted yet."

"Laura," Sam smiled. "You're brilliant. If we can kill the wolf that bit her we can make a serum to cure her before she kills anyone. But if we are too late and she kills there will not be a cure." Sam looked up at Laura.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Laura went to get up but Sam grabbed her wrist.

"Wait there's something else." Sam read his laptop. "which moon cycle was it this month?"

Laura sat back down. "Blood harvest moon I think."

"Oh no."

"What is it Sam?"

Sam's fingers let go of Laura's arm. "If she is werewolf then she is going to be the most powerful wolf since the alphas."

"What are we going to do?" Laura's heart broke at the thought of her best friend becoming a monster. Becoming the nightmares they feared.

"We are going to stick with the plan." Sam began to stuff his laptop and papers into a satchel. "We will separate Dakota and then go hunt this thing down."

Sam lead Laura out into the parking lot after locking the doors behind them. The sun had gone down and the wind sent a chill they both would never forget. Laura unlocked the car and they both got in. Laura cranked over the engine of her car and flicked the lights on. Laura used everything in her power not to scream at the sight before them. Sam's hand instinctively went to his gun behind him and the other touched Laura's shoulder encouraging her to keep quiet.

A tall thin man stood in the distance in front of them. It was like he was made of pure darkness his clothes blending in with the forest behind him. His long black hair tangled in the wind and his golden eyes locked on Laura's blue orbs. He stood there unmoving just staring at them. His nostrils flared at the scent of burnt gasoline and the lack of the scent he was hunting for. His body pivoted back to the forest followed by his head turning ever so slightly keeping its yellow eyes fixed on them. Then without warning it happened. His figure began to change and shift into a large black wolf with piercing yellow eyes. The same yellow eyes that watched Sam in the cabin only the night before.

"Drive Laura." Sam ordered with urgency in his voice. "Drive!"

Laura snapped out of her trance and threw the car in reverse slamming on the gas. She whipped the car from the parking lot and into drive heading back out of town towards Dakota's house. Her heart raced in her chest. Her palms were slick with sweat and she fought to stay calm and focus on the task ahead. Get back to the house. Get back to safety. Her foot pressed on the gas pedal pushing the old automatic as fast as it could go around each bend without losing grip. Faster she drove with the thought of that thing chasing them in the dark.

Dakota's drive came into view under the headlights of the car and Dean's Impala was parked in the drive right where they left them. A fearful though wormed its way into Laura's head. What if the thing killed them and then came for her and Sam? What horror will they find inside?

Laura whipped the car in the drive and immediately dashed for the house with Sam right on her tail covering them from behind. Laura used her key unlocked the door and pulled them inside and relocked it behind her.

Inside the living room was a mess and the tv was displaying an empty blue screen the illuminated the house. Dean and Dakota were nowhere to be found. Sam pulled Laura over to a closet and shoved her inside.

"Take this." Sam handed her a silver knife. "Use it on anything that comes through this door. Don't come out until I tell you to do so."

"Sam." Laura whimpered fearful for her friends and for the man she fell in love with.

Sam kissed her forehead. "Shh. It will be alright I promise. Just stay hidden until I come get you."

"Be careful." She pulled him in for a quick kiss on the lips.

Sam pulled away and locked her inside praying that he was only over reacting. Then he silently made his way up the stairs in search of his brother with silver bullets loaded in his gun.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

*Dakota's Pov*

I opened my eyes to a dark room barely visible through the light of the moon creeping through my curtains. Dean was asleep next to me snoring lightly under the covers with his arm draped over my waist and his chest pressed into mine. My throat ached from the dryness lingering down it. I wiggled free from Dean's heavy warm arm and slipped from the bed pulling his shirt from the floor and threw it over my head. The soft fabric draped over my body like a loose oversized dress and I headed for my door.

I felt the sensation of fear and danger creep up my side from my right before I was slammed into the wall across the room next to the door. The force my body contacting with the wall caused the bookshelf in the corner to wobble before setting back down to its usual stillness. A forearm pressed into my collarbone against my throat making it hard to breathe. I stood there barely on my toes gasping for air clawing at the arm holding me. Cold metal seared through Dean's shirt and into my skin as the familiar sound of a hammer of a gun _clicked_ back rung in my ears.

The sound woke Dean from his sleep as he pulled his gun taking aim at the figure holding me against the wall. I wiggled my body for my hip to turn on the light. My soft flesh dug into the switch before I was able to get it to flick on. The light blinded me momentarily before Sam came into my view with a death glare painted on his face and his forearm digging into my throat.

"Sam what the hell?" Dean lowered his gun and pulled on his pants before slipping from the bed.

Sam looked at the both of us and suddenly became more furious at the situation. "Dean what the hell were you thinking?"

My heart was racing in my chest as tears welled in my eyes. I whimpered at Dean who raised his gun back at his brother. "Sam let her go now." His threatening voice was deep and dangerous.

Sam was astonished. "Dean she is a werewolf!"

I felt my eyes go wide as Dean's green eyes shift from his brother to me. "Sam." I begged. "Please."

"Tell him the truth." Sam growled.

Dean's gun suddenly shifted to my chest and my heart broke. Tears began streaming down my face. Dean's gun didn't falter as he cocked back the slide. The slide slapped forward putting a round into the chamber and he aimed it at my heart. "Dean please."

"Sam." Dean's voice was a low growl. "Test her."

Sam's forearm quickly moved from my throat as he rummaged through my jewelry box on my desk pulling my favorite necklace Laura had given me for Christmas. Sam gripped my right arm and I tried to pull back afraid of what he would do. He laid my necklace over my forearm and let it sit there for a moment. My skin felt very irritated and I tried to pull away then chain began to smoke and burn through my skin. I screamed in horror and agony as I threw the necklace from my arm across the room clutching my arm against my chest. It felt like electricity surging through me as my skin flaked back in a figure eight shape on my arm.

"Dammit." Dean growled his gun dropping from my chest to the ground.

I slid down to the floor holding my arm with tears covering my face.

"I told you she was a werewolf." Sam aimed his gun at me.

Dean began pacing the room before he came down kneeling in front of me. "Dakota, I need you to be honest with me. Did that thing bite you when it attacked?"

I sniffed. "Yes. It bit me on my right ankle and pulled me from the tree. I swear that's the last thing I remember, and the hospital said there were no other bites. They gave me a rabies shot in the stomach just in case."

"Do you remember ever shifting into a wolf or even in your dreams?" He asked resting his forearm on my knees.

I shook my head. "Just the dream of me watching my brothers die. I've been with you the whole time I swear."

"Dammit." Dean got up pacing the room again. Dean dug his phone from his pants and dialed a number avoiding my gaze. "Cas? Hey Cas, we need you here we are at- "

A man in a beige trench coat suddenly appeared in my room with short disheveled black hair holding a cell phone. "I'm here." His voice was deep and husky almost inhuman.

Dean stared at the man for a moment before hanging up the phone. "Cas, we have a problem."

"I will help in any way I can." He answered.

"Cas," Sam began to explain. "We need to know if she is telling the truth about being a werewolf."

Cas turned over to me and took a step before stopping. Confusion absorbed his face. "Why is she half dressed?"

"Because Dean decided to sleep with her." Sam growled at his brother.

"Hey!" Dean defended. "That was before I knew she was a werewolf."

I felt like I had been kicked in the gut.

"Enough." Cas ordered. He knelt to me his blue eyes piercing through mine. "My name is Castiel and I am an angel of the lord."

I looked up at him confused. "An angel?"

"Yes and for me to get down to the bottom of your case, even the parts your brain a cannot remember, I need to tap into your soul."

"Tap into my soul?"

"Yes. It will be extremely painful but will serve as a pool of memories."

I looked up at Sam and Dean who were still staring at me with uncertainty. I dropped my eyes down to the angel in front of me. "Okay. Whatever it takes to prove I'm innocent." I braced myself closing my eyes listening to Castiel.

"Remember to keep still, breathe and allow me access into your soul." Castiel's voice surrounded my senses. "Okay I will begin now." A sharp shooting pain pushed its way through my flesh and bones. It seared my body like lightning touching a tree leaving a hollow burning trail in its wake. I fought back the urge to scream as a hand held onto my very existence and asked for entry. I felt myself nod and the hand vanished into my soul for a split second and then all pain was gone. My eyes snapped open and I felt my head spin as I gulped down all the air I could get. Castiel's hands steadied me. "It's alright breathe Dakota. Breathe."

"Cas?" Dean asked worried.

"She is not a werewolf." Cas explained, and I breathed a sigh of relief. "She is something far more dangerous."

"What is she?" Sam asked impatiently.

"Her kind have very few left on earth and perhaps in all existence. When god had created hell hounds and banished them into the fiery pit he also created something else to battle the princes and knights of hell. They are called heaven's hunters. They are shifters and man. They can take their true form of a wolf in battle or as need be. Their other form is that of man, so they may walk among humans to protect them."

"What happened to them?" Sam sat down on my bed losing interest in threatening me.

Cas looked right at me. "When the angels left earth over 2,000 years ago we left the protection upon the hunters. But creating new hunters is nearly impossible so as each one fell in battle they became endangered. Whatever rouge hunter changed you is not changing you for backup but for breeding rights."

"Like the hell he is." Dean growled.

"Then we will need to hunt him down and kill him." Cas helped me to my feet. "Angel blades are the only weapons that can kill them." Cas observed the way Dean was looking at me. "I wonder." Cas pulled me flush against his back with a silver spear shape dagger to my neck.

Dean instinctively drew his gun aiming it at Cas's head. "Cas let her go." Dean growled darkly.

Slowly Cas raised his hands releasing me and I bolted behind Dean. His hand lingered on my hip keeping me tucked behind him.

"Easy Dean," Cas explained. "I meant her no harm. I simply needed to test a theory." Cas disarmed himself and Dean lowered his gun. Dean tucked me against his chest his arm around my shoulders. "I needed to see if the legends of hunters and man were true."

"What legends?" I asked.

"Well you and Dean had um…intercourse?" Cas asked, and my face flushed.

"What of it?" Dean said nonchalantly.

"There is a myth that under the blood harvest full moon that anyone who mates with a hunter is bound to one another."

I raised an eyebrow. "So, what you're saying were like married?"

Cas didn't answer but simply shrugged.

I slowly backed anyway for a bit as Dean went into shock. "Married?"

"Well according to legend but most shifters only keep the connections for protection. Dean and you will be overprotective of one another for a while until you are accustomed to each other."

Dean breathed a sigh of relief. "Let's just not get to hasty and take it slowly here. We still have a case to solve." He sat down on the bed. "How can we kill this rogue hunter?"

I looked around the room. "Where is Laura?" I asked with a slight panic in my chest.

Sam got up. "I have her in the closet incase the rogue hunter was here. I'll go get her." Sam left the room leaving me and Dean in the room with the angel.

Dean put his arm around my shoulder pulling me into him. "I'm sorry for before."

"It's okay Dean. I would have done the same in your shoes." I looked down to the floor. "Like you said we will take it slow if you want. Deal with the case first."

"Dakota!" I heard Laura scream before she barreled into the room tackling me down on my bed hugging me. I could feel her body shaking. "Oh my god I was so scared that thing got to you before we could."

I pushed her back a bit, so I could breathe. "Wait what are you talking about?"

She sat up with tears in her eyes. "When Sam and I left the café, we saw _him_. He stood there watching us and then he shifted into a huge black wolf with yellow eyes! I was so scared I was barely able to drive us back without wrecking."

Panic sunk into my chest. "You saw his human form?" I asked.

She nodded. "I've never seen him before but he kind of looked like someone from the renaissance era with long hair that had a baby with _Pitch_ from the movie _Rise of the Guardians_."

I moved across my bed to my window looking out into the pure darkness of the woods. The moonlight trickled down to the ground weaving through the branches of the trees. I scanned the area hoping they hadn't been followed. But there he was yellow eyes that seemed to glow against the darkness. The hunter was here.

"Oh my god." I barely whispered. "He's here." I pulled the curtains shut. "He's in the yard." Everyone rushed out pulling their guns and blades. I quickly changed into clean clothes. "Shit." I growled.

"Dakota why were you naked?" Laura asked helping me change. She pulled my top over my head. "Wait did you and Dean…?"

I stopped dressing to try and think of a way to deny it.

"Oh my god you did!" She squealed with a huge grin on her face. "Oh my god! Tell me everything!"

"Laura, I don't think this is the time." I pulled my boots on my feet. "We have to help the others. If we can sneak down into the garage then I can get out the 50 cal. That should take the bastard out."

"Okay. Let's do it." Laura lead the way.

I quickly grabbed my pistol and stuffed it behind my back ready for the fight of my life.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 1

Laura and I made our way down the garage sticking close to the house hiding in the shadows. The boys were busy trying to reason with the hunter who stood on the edge of the property still hidden behind the trees. I tried to pry the garage door open quietly desperate to get to the 50 cal. A gust of wind blew past me whipping my hair up into the night sending my scent down wind.

A growl crawled towards me. I turned from the garage to see the wolf come out from the woods as huge as I remembered. His shoulders were broad full of muscle that reached up to Dean's shoulders as it walked past him and towards me. His paws moved like grizzly bear's with long black claws that scraped the ground. Its long black tail swiped the area behind it as the hunter moved towards me.

"Hey you bastard!" Dean yelled getting the hunters attention.

The wolf turned on Dean snarling at him. It's fangs gleamed in the moonlight as the hunter snapped its jaws at Sam and Dean.

"That's right ugly keep coming this way!" Dean taunted. The wolf kept smelling the air around them hesitating each step as they walked back luring it away.

Out of nowhere Cas launched at the wolf driving a silver dagger into the wolf's shoulder. It cried out in agony before latching it's fangs into Cas and threw him. The angel landed behind us against the garage door _hard_. The sound echoed around us before his body slumped down.

"Cas!" I went over to him trying to wake the angel. I shook his body violently screaming at him. "Cas! Wake up!"

"That's it you son of a bitch!" Dean fired at the wolf landing all eight rounds into its chest. The hunter charged Sam and Dean. Dean dropped his empty clip trying to reload before the hunter grabbed him and threw Dean into the woods. Sam was whipped with the tail end and sent him across the yard. Sam landed with a _huff_ and didn't move.

I shook Cas harder screaming and slapping his face but the angel didn't respond. The wolf pulled the blade from its shoulder dropping the dagger to the ground. Laura let out a scream giving away our position. The wolf turned and sniffed at our direction. It's jaws opened and drool dripped from its fangs. It came towards us slowly calculating its kill. I shielded Laura behind me unable to think straight. The wolf hovered over us sniffing at our scents. I could feel the heat of its breath on my skin and my mind went into panic. Like that day it took me. Its foul breath washed over my skin as it breathed tickling my skin moving my hair. I pushed back into Laura trying to get away but we were trapped against the garage door. Then sheer pain gripped my left shoulder digging deeper into me. The hunter's fangs buried themselves into my flesh and I screamed for mercy. He pulled me away dragging me like a sinful soul being pulled into hell.

I kicked and screamed trying to break free as I was dragged into the darkness. I felt like a baby gazelle being pulled from the herd by a hungry lioness. Warm liquid trickled down my body soaking into my clothes. I saw Dean unconscious in the forest laying slumped at the base of a tree. I fought harder against the hunter trying to pull free from its jaws feeling my flesh tear.

* * *

We came into a clearing with an old red barn that looked like it was falling apart. The hunter tossed me to the ground and shifted back into his human form. Laura was right, a pale male from the renaissance era who resembled the character _Pitch_. I sat there holding my shoulder looking up at the hunter's yellow eyes. He paced the space between us snarling.

"I tried to be patient with you Dakota." He hissed. His voice was smoky and deep with a silvery tone. "I waited and gave you time to heal. Hoping you would return to my side like you're supposed to. But…but you run off with a _hunter_?" He bared his teeth at the mention of Dean's existence. "You taint yourself with _him_ and his _scent_. Now I have no choice but to cleanse you of his filth."

"What are you going to do?"

He turned his head over his shoulder his eyes gleaming, his teeth bared and his body tense. He strode over to me kneeling down. His long thin fingers brushed my hair back off my bleeding shoulder. "I'm going to sever the bond between you two. Oh and I'm going to take my time ripping his spine from his mortal body. Then my dear I'll make my mark on you." His thumb pushed into my shoulder into the wound hole. I screamed at the overwhelming pain that threatened to make me blackout. He pulled his thumb back tasting the red blood dripping down his palm.

"You're a sick murderous bastard." I growled back.

His chime like laugh swirled around me. "Me? A murderer? I pulled you from that spiteful life struggling to make ends meet. Dreaming of escape and when I do, you hate me for it?"

"You slaughtered my brothers."

He rolled his eyes. "Those mortals had no reason to interfere with your transformation. Yes their presence delayed your shifting but I took care of them quickly before any more damage to you could be done." His hand gripped my jaw pulling me closer to his face. "It took a few days for my blood to settle in your system changing you but I never expected it to make you so strong."

"You're blood?"

His lips pulled up into a crooked smile. "Yes. A single bite can't change you. You have to drink the blood of the one who transformed you. Now with your strength I think you'll survive the transformation and then I will enjoy taking you _slowly_." His tongue ran over his lips. My hand drifted down my back and grabbed my gun. The wood grips dug into my palm. "Or shall I just have you here and now? Make that hunter watch as I make you mine before I rip his spine from his body?" I pulled my gun carefully from its holster removing the safety. His grip on my jaw hurt as he pulled my lips up to his. "Yes, I think I will do that." I whipped my gun around my body and unloaded all eight rounds in his torso. He fell back against the power of each bullet. He stumbled a bit before regaining his balance. His yellow eyes dropped to his stomach that oozed out blood. "You ungrateful bitch. You'll pay for that."

He launched forward shifting into his wolf form before I could blink. I rolled out of the way making his jaws collide with the dirt. He stopped looking up at me pulling his jowls over his fangs. His yellow eyes narrowed. Something deep down inside of me snapped. It felt like a break on a rope feathering apart from its end as the once peaceful self I knew vanished into nothing and a beast took form in my mind. It creeped up my spine curling around as it stood by my side. A white wolf with blue eyes, a massive body and black long claws. I could see the anger, hurt and purity of its soul forging with mine. I balled my hands into a fist with the pain of my nails digging into my palms. The anger and sorrow built inside me boiling over into tears down my face. My teeth ached as I clenched my jaw thinking of the mangled bodies of my brother, of Cas and Sam laying in my yard, Laura left abandoned and scared, and Dean. Dean's life hung in the balance. My mate lingering in the back of my mind like a golden line from my soul to his. I could feel him breathe. I could sense his words. Fight. The words shouted down the bond to me. Fight.

The hunter attacked, and I exploded. My soul ripped from my body in a blinding light. I could feel the change like a flip of the switch. One moment I was human then next I was claws and fangs ripping into the hunter's body. I slammed him into the ground over and over. My fangs broke into his flesh as his hot blood slipped into my mouth. I could feel his paws try to push me back under my belly clawing at my body, but I didn't falter. His jaws ripped me from his body and I bounded back instantly colliding my teeth with his. Our bodies collided and a thunderous boom echoed from us by the sheer force of power. I knocked him to the ground ripping at his throat bending his neck back enough he could touch his own spine. His fangs pinched my cheek making me pull harder. He roared out until his voice was suddenly cut off and his head came loose. I stumbled back from my own power seeing his head severed from his neck. I watched as the light in his yellow eyes faded away into a muted color.

I stepped back panting until my wolf side vanished and I was human once more. The pain crippled my body down to my core. I collapsed to the ground holding my stomach inside the ribbons of what was once my torso. I curled up holding my body together on the ground my blood soaked into the dry dirt. Long yellow grass danced in the wind around me as the sun rose over the horizon. Sun rays reached through each blade touching my skin but I could not feel it's warmth. I couldn't feel the wind as it danced around the field. I couldn't feel anything.

A voice called out to me though a golden line from my soul. It begged for me to hold on. I listened to the voice trying to drown out the pain and panic that consumed my body. _Hold on._ It said. _Hold on I'm almost there…_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Blood seeped into the soil and up on the long yellow blades of grass. There were clear signs of a fight marking the land with huge imprints of a body being slammed repeatedly into the ground. The familiar smell of gunpowder lingered in the air as Dean carefully tracked through the open field across from a condemned once red barn. A small silver and black colt laid in the dirt still warm from the rounds fired earlier. He picked up the small metal gun and tucked it behind his back. His boots scuffed up the dust of the dry dirt patches. His jeans were painted with wisps of red as his legs pushed their way through the long yellow grass that were drenched in blood. The more he walked the more his heart sank to reality that no one could survive with that much blood loss. For once he prayed silently. Actually, _prayed_ that the blood belonged to the monster he was fighting and not her. His hand tightened on the ivory grips of his silver engraved colt pistol. The silver rounds waiting to be fired into the hunter that took her.

A moment later he found a body covered in black fur. The oversized wolf looked more like a bear as he circled around the creature to the front only to find that the head barely attached by ribbons of skin on the back of the neck. The wolf had been decapitated with its dim yellow eyes glazed over staring into nothingness. Dean gripped his gun with both hands taking aim at the beast before kicking its paw checking to see if it was truly dead. Nothing. The open flesh of its neck had lost nearly all its color as the blood pooled under its carcass and into the soil.

If the creature was dead, then she still had to be around somewhere. Dean turned in circles scanning any where a body could lay in this long grass. The wind blew past him and through the grass like someone running their fingers through their hair. There was a dip in the grass where nothing moved. He sprinted over to the indentation in the long yellow grass. The trail of blood thickened as he got closer. He skidded to a stop upon the sight of horror.

She laid in a puddle of her own blood curled into a ball holding her shredded body together. Her legs trembled, pants ripped revealing claw marks on her thighs and her arms clung to her abdomen paler than normal. Blood oozed from between her forearms. Her black and silver hair feathered out under her head, her chin dimpled, and her pale lip trembled holding back the cries of agony. Her icy blue eyes looked up at him. Tears flowed endlessly from her eyes over the cuts on her cheeks dusted with dirt.

After all the years of hunting and time spent in hell they did not prepare him for this. His abs tightened against stomach urging the nausea up into his throat and he ground his teeth holding back the urge to scream. When his eyes met hers, he felt his heart drop from his chest into a black hole of despair. His shaking hands loosened on his gun as his thumb instinctively clicked the safety back on. He tucked his gun in the front of his jeans and removed his coat laying it over her body. He was not sure if he did it to save her or save him from the sight of seeing her shredded body.

"Dean…" She whimpered her voice brittle and broken.

He brushed her hair out of her face her skin cold against his touch. "Dakota. It's going to be okay. Sam and Cas are on their way."

Her body began to tremble more as she went into shock. "I'm…I'm sorry. I tried to-"

"Shh." He rested his forehead against hers struggling to keep the tears back. He had to stay calm for her. "It's not your fault. I should have gotten to you sooner."

"If you did, you would have been killed and…and I need someone to take care of Laura."

"Don't. Don't you dare talk like that." Dean growled. "You will get through this."

Dakota began to cough violently. Her small frame shook in Dean's arms as she gasped for breath. Her muscles began to loosen from her curled grip on her abdomen. Her strength was fading quickly. Dean cursed inwardly at Sam and Cas. _Damn it, where were they?_ Dean had seen many people die in his years as a hunter and he knew Dakota did not have long.

Dakota's hand brushed his cheek leaving a smear of her blood over his sharp cheek bone and scruffy chin as she looked into his green eyes. "Dean…I love you…"

Without thinking Dean kissed her hard. "I love you too." Carefully not to hurt her, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, tucked her head in his chest, and he rested his chin on her shoulder blade closing his eyes praying.

Softly, her hand slid from his face and he felt it. He felt her body relax as her soul passed from her body. A sob escaped his lips.

"Dean!" Sam voice yelled across the field.

Dean clung to her body pulling her up into his lap as he cried knowing she was gone. He held onto her lifeless body as the world slowed around him. The only woman he _truly_ loved.

"Dakota!" A female voice screamed across the field. Dean looked into the morning light to see Laura running over. She slowed down as she got closer. Her brown eyes took him in before dropping to her best friend limp in his arms. Laura shook her head as tears filled her eyes and she shrieked. "No!" Sam was quick and grabbed Laura's waist pulling her back. "No! Dakota! No!" She tried pulling from Sam's iron grip before turning on him and hitting him in the chest before falling to her knees crying in Sam's arms. "It's not fair!" She wept.

Cas solemnly came over to Dean and knelt in front of him. "There still might be some time." The angel knelt to Dakota's body and placed a hand on her forehead. With all his strength Cas focused his energy and powers to heal Dakota's body and call her back. Exhausted Cas' hand dropped from Dakota's face as he panted breathless. "That is as much as I could do for now." Dean's eyes dropped to her face. He could not tell if it was real or his imagination as he swore he saw her lip twitch. Then Dakota opened her mouth taking a breath in. She was breathing on her own her eyes still closed against the world, but her warmth slowly returned. "She will rest for a while. She will be alright." Cas explained. "Once I regain my strength I will focus on healing her."

"Thank you." Dean smiled holding on to his mate.

"Is she alright?" Sam asked with his arm wrapped around Laura's shoulder.

Dean let out a sign of relief. "She's alive. We had better get her and Cas to the house before something worse comes along." Dean effortlessly lifted Lakota's body bridal style and began to carry her back to the car. Laura stuck close to him as Sam and Cas watched their backs. Secretly Dean swore he would never let her out of his sight again as she nestled her head under his chin sleeping soundly.

Laura opened the door to the impala and the groan of the steel washed over Dean letting him relax knowing that this was over. He got in the back seat with Dakota and Laura shut the door getting in on the other side. Sam started the engine and sped away from the scene with Cas in the front seat.

* * *

They had returned to Dakota's house slowly pulling into the driveway. Sam helped the exhausted angel into the house and Laura assisted Dean in getting Dakota inside. Sam and Cas collapsed on the couch. Dean struggled to keep holding Dakota up and set her down on the window seat. Dean's cell phone rang and he picked it up before Dakota could be awakened. Laura busied herself tending to Dakota and Cas.

"Hello?"

"Dean!" A familiar feminine voice let out a sigh of relief over the phone. "I had a vision of you and your brother, but neither of would pick up your phone." Missouri spoke. "Are you boys alright?"

Dean looked at the people he cared about around him. They were exhausted, beaten up but alive nonetheless. "Yes, we are alright."

"And Dakota? Did she?"

"She's alive too thanks to Cas."

There was a pause over the phone. "Dean about that girl, you should know-"

"She's heaven's hunter? Yeah we found out last night."

"Did her mate show up?"

"What mate?"

"The one who turned her dear. In my vision he came to take her in the night and then he came back for boys. It was the worst vision I have ever seen. He did some _evil_ things to you two."

"No, Missouri. Dakota killed the hunter. She saved us."

"Thank god. Well you boys be careful now and call me if you need anything."

"We will. Thanks Missouri."

"Bye-bye dear."

Dean hung up his phone and sat down next to Dakota's sleeping body.

"What did Missouri say?" Sam asked half laying on the couch next to Cas.

"She saw what would have happened to us if Dakota hadn't killed that hunter." Dean said quietly.

"What would he have done?" Sam sat himself up on the couch.

Dean didn't answer him, and Sam got the idea. It would have been horrific. Laura began cleaning Sam's face of the small cuts he received from bouncing off the ground when the hunter threw him. Sam grabbed her hand stopping her from working and pulled her into his lap. He buried his face in the crook of her neck cherishing the moment. Laura was tense for a moment before she relaxed into his touch.

Dakota rolled over facing the others before she stretched her body. She relaxed her muscles before her long lashes fluttered open.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

*Dakota's Pov*

I woke up in my living room on the small window bench. Sam had Laura on his lap with tears streaming down her face, the angel half way on the couch looking like he was about to fall off, and a beaten up Dean with a smear of blood on his cheek staring at me.

I looked at them extremely confused. "What happened?" My voice was brittle and rough on my throat. I coughed trying to clear it.

Dean got up fetching me a glass of water. His large warm hands helped me sit up to drink. My stomach muscles contracted as I rose and then locked up in pain. I immediately fell back on the bench holding my stomach. "Easy sweetheart."

My breath was ragged and my stomach felt like I did a million crunches. The muscles were tender and very sore. "What happened?"

Dean's face crinkled in confusion. "You don't remember?"

I thought back to the last thing I could recall. "I remember…the hunter took me. I remember him talking to me and I shot him." I tried pulling the memories from my fuzzy brain. "I remember shifting into a wolf and ripping his head off." Cas sat up on the couch listening to me intently. "Then I felt tired and weak so I shifted back to save energy. Then all of a sudden you were there holding me…then nothing really. I do remember feeling so warm and safe like I was living in this golden light in such a dark place. I was listening to the most soothing voice I ever heard. It kept asking me to stay and I did. I stayed with the voice until I woke up here."

"Dakota." Dean's eyes welled up with tears. His throat bobbed as he swallowed trying to stay calm. I arched an eyebrow at him trying to figure out why he was so emotional. "Dakota…you died."

I scoffed at him. "Uh no I didn't I'm right here. You can see me."

"You died in my arms in that field. Cas healed you, so your soul could return." He explained.

I forced myself through the pain sitting up. I went to pull up my shirt noticing the bloody claw marks on my jeans and shirt. Images flashed in my mind from the fight. The hunter was clawing at me trying to get me off of him but I couldn't feel him cut me. I pulled my shirt up finding no marks or scars on my skin. I looked up at Cas stunned.

"I did what I could." The angel explained. His deep husky voice hooked my attention. "I removed any damage the hunter did to you but I am too weak to heal you properly. You will be sore until I can finish your healing."

"No it's alright." I said rubbing my stomach. "I've been through it once I can do it again." I sighed resting back drinking the water Dean gave me. "So, hunters case closed. The evil thing hunting me is dead. So now what?"

"Now we look for other cases." Sam said with a light smile.

I gave him a blank look. "You guys really do this for a living?"

They both nodded.

"Wow. That sucks." I chuckled.

"Now that you've shifted and the story has been out, I would assume that every hunter, demon and angel will come after you." Cas explained.

I pursed my lips. "So, I'm supernatural's most wanted now?"

"I have an idea." Sam spoke up. "Why not you both come live with us in Kansas? We have a bunker that keeps out all evil. You both would be safe there."

Laura leaned back in his arms. "A drafty bunker?"

Sam tried to keep a straight face but cracked a smile. "It's a bunker from a group called Men of Letters. A group that hunted what we hunt today and it's very well fixed up."

"Kind of has a 1930's feel to it." Dean put his arm around me. "and a huge kitchen, garage, tons of rooms to choose from, a library and of course us."

I got up heading over to the kitchen bar counter. I set the glass down staring at the engravings my brothers and I did into the counter as we grew up. I swallowed hard thinking of leaving all of this behind. "This is my home…" My voice cracked.

A voice trailed down a golden line down into my mind. _Please…I love you. _The voice whispered. I looked over at Dean who looked like he was on the verge of having his heart shattered along with his soul. _I don't want to lose you again. _I felt him say it but the words didn't leave his mouth. I felt a tug on my soul as if he was reaching out to me pulling me into his arms, but Dean never moved a muscle.

I stared at him thinking what my life would be like if he wasn't there. If he just vanished into the night leaving me alone with the memories of him. A sinking feeling wormed its way into my heart at the thought of waking up to a cold empty bed to serve mechanics and miners at a diner the rest of my life.

Dean came over to me placing a hand gently under my chin making me look into his deep green eyes. "I know you're scared. You don't have to rush into this. I just want you safe and happy. I want you to know whatever you choose I will be happy for you, but damn sweetheart if you don't. I don't know how I will live with myself letting you go." He kissed my forehead and I closed my eyes at his touch. He felt like the golden light in the darkness when I was lost hours ago.

"Okay." I whispered. "I'll go with you."

Dean whisked me off my feet spinning me around and he hollered.

I laughed as he hugged me tight before setting me down on my feet. "But I will need time to move everything, because I'm not moving into an empty room."

Dean had the biggest smile on his face. "Whatever you want baby I'm just so happy you're coming with us."

"Hey, you're not leaving me behind." Laura said interrupting us.

Sam pulled her down for a surprise kiss receiving a shocked squeal from Laura making me laugh.

"So, then it's settled." Dean wrapped me in his arms.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

It had been the longest two months of my life. Every day I spent packing and moving items of my late family members belongings. Most I donated or sold on the internet. Some things were too special to lose. I taped up the last box and slid it into the corner by the door. The house was empty with no furniture or decorations. Dust lingered in the small places I had yet to clean for the new owners. I had sold the cabin last week and they would be moving in two days. I wiped the sweat from my brow on the back of my long-sleeved shirt.

"All done Dakota?" Laura brought over a glass of water for me.

I took a long drink letting the cold-water wash over the back of my throat. "Yeah. These are ready to be loaded into the truck. I still can't believe we're moving." I looked out to the empty house feeling the queasiness of my stomach.

"But we have a new life to start." Laura explained. She picked up a box and began loading the moving truck. "It will be great."

I helped her load the truck packing each box in a sort of Tetris style game. With the last box loaded inside we pulled the door down and latched it. Laura drove her car over for me to guide her onto the tow bed. It took some time for me to secure the car to the trailer but got it hooked up in time for a break. We sat on the steps of the porch overlooking the forest.

"This time tomorrow we will be in Kansas with the guys." Laura smiled.

Butterflies danced in my stomach at the thought of Dean. I missed him horribly, but I had a bad feeling he had changed his mind about me. I would call and text him and it would take him quite some time to answer back. A lot of our conversations were brief, and it sat a bad thought in my head. "I don't know if we are doing the right thing. I mean Dean barely talks to me and were supposed to move in with them. What if he changed his mind?"

Laura sighed. "You told me you felt this bond between you too like you could communicate right?"

"Yeah."

"How has it been feeling for you?"

My shoulders slouched. "I'm not sure. It's been a comforting longing feeling but I keep thinking that it's only me. To be honest it's been quiet as well."

Laura stretched her arms over her head. "Well Sam says differently that Dean is going insane counting the days. Perhaps he's just not used to this kind of real relationship. Maybe he's not sure how to handle it."

I rested my chin on my knees. "Sure." I sighed. I listened to the wind passing through the trees and the birds singing their songs. A deep rumble swayed around the mountain in the distance. A familiar rumble that made my stomach jump. My head perked up as I listened intently for the sound. It got louder and closer through the town making its way up to the cabin.

"I think maybe Dean has just been planning a surprise." Laura smirked at me. Just then a black 1967 Chevy Impala pulled into the drive beside the moving truck with Dean at the wheel. "As a matter of fact, that's apparently what he did."

We raced over to the boys who welcomed us into open arms. I practically tackled Dean making him stumble back. His warm strong arms wrapped around my body as I breathed in his sent. My heart pounded in my chest making it harder to keep the tears in my eyes from spilling over.

His arms tightened around me. "I've missed you so much."

"I missed you too." I sniffled in his shoulder.

He pulled me back and kissed me dipping me back in a heated passionate kiss. He pulled away breathless. "I've wanted to do that for a long time." He stood me up holding me against him.

"What are you two doing here?" I smiled.

"What? Did you think we were going to let you to move all this on your own?" Sam asked holding Laura under his arm.

"Sam and I will be helping you girls move down." Dean explained. "Laura said that it would be the truck hauling your things and her car but no one to ride the motorcycle. So, Sam gave the idea for us to drive up and help you drive down. Besides I said I wanted to see you on that bike."

I lightly back handed his shoulder. "You could have said something."

Dean placed his finger under my chin. "But then I would have missed this amazing surprised look on your face."

I slipped from Dean's arms and went up to the front door. I locked the dead bolt and tucked the key into the realtor's keypad lock leaving it hanging on the door handle. My fingertips lingered on the brass door handle before I pulled away heading down to the boys. I pulled my riding gear from the front seat of the truck. I geared up and started my bike.

Dean stood by me running his hands over my back and arm. "Are you ready?"

I kissed him lightly on the lips before sliding my helmet on. "As ready as I will ever be."

* * *

I followed Dean's impala out of the driveway with Sam and Laura in the moving truck behind me. The engine between my legs purred loudly as I weaved through the roads down south. We hit the edge of town and I saw something I would never forget. Two figures stood next to the 'you're now leaving town' sign dressed in hiking gear. I slowed down staring at them as I passed. They both raised a hand and waved me off. A chill ran up my spine as the ghosts of my two brothers vanished upward in a silver light. My heart raced in my chest as I felt a caress down the bond I shared with Dean.

_I saw them too. _The words slithered down the bond. _They've left this world._

_They're finally at peace. _I shot back.

_What about you?_

We hit the open highway and I dropped down a gear. The bike launched forward as I over took the lead passing Dean in the Impala with a huge smile on his face.

_You have no idea my love. _The sun began to set over the horizon and I chased the daylight pulling my bike up into a wheelie with the night following me.


End file.
